Plasmodium knowlesi: the game changer for malaria eradication

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Wenn-Chyau Lee, Fei Wen Cheong, Amirah Amir, Meng Yee Lai, Jia Hui Tan, Wei Kit Phang, Shahhaziq Shahari, Yee-Ling Lau
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2022
• Subjects: Plasmodium knowlesi; Humans; Research; Malaria eradication; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04131-8; https://doaj.org/article/dfad729456194d6c850579bf46e1e494

Abstract Plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic malaria parasite that has gained increasing medical interest over the past two decades. This zoonotic parasitic infection is prevalent in Southeast Asia and causes many cases with fulminant pathology. Despite several biogeographical restrictions that limit its distribution, knowlesi malaria cases have been reported in different parts of the world due to travelling and tourism activities. Here, breakthroughs and key information generated from recent (over the past five years, but not limited to) studies conducted on P. knowlesi were reviewed, and the knowledge gap in various research aspects that need to be filled was discussed. Besides, challenges and strategies required to control and eradicate human malaria with this emerging and potentially fatal zoonosis were described.