Scientists thought that the spleen is where malaria parasites go to die. Now, a team of researchers has discovered "a surprisingly large" amount of live Plasmodium parasites hiding out in the spleens of people with chronic malaria infections. The.
Malaria parasites may survive, replicate within the spleen of asymptomatic individuals, study suggests
Malaria, a disease caused mainly by the parasites
Plasmodium falciparum and
Plasmodium vivax, (
P. vivax) is associated with over 400,000 deaths each year. Previously, the spleen was assumed to mostly play a role in parasite destruction, as it eliminates malaria parasites after antimalarial treatment. A study published in the open access journal
PLOS Medicine by Steven Kho and Nicholas Anstey at Menzies School of Health Research, Australia, and international colleagues, suggests that in chronic
P. vivax infections, malaria parasites survive and replicate via a previously undetected lifecycle within the spleen.
An international team of researchers has found that the parasite Plasmodium vivax which causes malaria can survive and replicate within a multi-functional organ.
Malaria, a disease caused mainly by the parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, is associated with over 400,000 deaths each year. Previously, the spleen was assumed to mostly play a role in parasite destruction, as it eliminates malaria parasites after antimalarial treatment. A study published by Steven Kho and Nicholas Anstey at Menzies School of Health Research, Australia, and international colleagues, suggests that in chronic P. vivax infections, malaria parasites survive and replicate via a previously undetected lifecycle within the spleen.