Title |
Accurate identification of the six human Plasmodium spp. causing imported malaria, including Plasmodium ovale wallikeri and Plasmodium knowlesi
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Published in |
Malaria Journal, September 2013
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DOI | 10.1186/1475-2875-12-321 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Adriana Calderaro, Giovanna Piccolo, Chiara Gorrini, Sabina Rossi, Sara Montecchini, Maria Loretana Dell’Anna, Flora De Conto, Maria Cristina Medici, Carlo Chezzi, Maria Cristina Arcangeletti |
Abstract |
Accurate identification of Plasmodium infections in non-endemic countries is of critical importance with regard to the administration of a targeted therapy having a positive impact on patient health and management and allowing the prevention of the risk of re-introduction of endemic malaria in such countries. Malaria is no longer endemic in Italy where it is the most commonly imported disease, with one of the highest rates of imported malaria among European non-endemic countries including France, the UK and Germany, and with a prevalence of 24.3% at the University Hospital of Parma. Molecular methods showed high sensitivity and specificity and changed the epidemiology of imported malaria in several non-endemic countries, highlighted a higher prevalence of Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae underestimated by microscopy and, not least, brought to light both the existence of two species of P. ovale (Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri) and the infection in humans by Plasmodium knowlesi, otherwise not detectable by microscopy. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Malaysia | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 174 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 28 | 16% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 26 | 15% |
Researcher | 25 | 14% |
Student > Bachelor | 18 | 10% |
Student > Postgraduate | 9 | 5% |
Other | 21 | 12% |
Unknown | 48 | 27% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 36 | 21% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 35 | 20% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 21 | 12% |
Chemistry | 6 | 3% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 5 | 3% |
Other | 20 | 11% |
Unknown | 52 | 30% |