How prevalent is Plasmodium malariae in Rondônia, western Brazilian Amazon?
We have compared results of Plasmodium species identification obtained with conventional on-site microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick smears (GTS) and a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 96 malaria patients from Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon. Mixed-species infections were detected by PCR in 30% patients, but no such case had been found on GTS. Moreover, P. malariae infections were detected in 9 of 96 patients (10%) by PCR, but were not identified by local microscopists. The potential impact of species misidentification on malaria treatment and control is discussed.
Cavasini
M T
MT
Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto, Brazil.
Ribeiro
W L
WL
Kawamoto
F
F
Ferreira
M U
MU
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010965:Plasmodium malariae; D015995:Prevalence