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Article: Genome of a monkey-human malaria parasite.
- Article from:
- China Weekly News
- Article date:
- October 21, 2008
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Researchers have decoded the genome of a malaria parasite that has a host range from monkeys to man. Identified originally in monkeys, the parasite was first reported in a human infection just over 40 years ago.
Until recently, four species were held responsible for human malaria infections: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. P. knowlesi is increasingly recognised as the fifth and emerging human malaria parasite, which is particularly prevalent in South East Asia and can cause potentially life threatening malaria. Recent surveys suggest that many P. knowlesi infections have been misdiagnosed by microscopy as P. malariae, resulting in gross underestimates of ...