Prevalence and Characteristics of Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes in Duffy-Positive and Duffy-Negative Populations across Ethiopia

This study highlights the presence of P. vivax gametocytes in Duffy-negative infections, suggestive of human-to-mosquito transmissibility. Although P. vivax infections in Duffy-negative individuals were commonly associated with low parasitemia, some of these infections were shown to have relatively high parasitemia and may represent a prominent erythrocyte invasion capability of P. vivax, and hidden reservoirs that can contribute to transmission. A better understanding of P. vivax transmission biology and gametocyte function particularly in Duffy-negative populations would aid future treatment and management of P. vivax malaria in Africa.PMID:38626749 | DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.23-0877
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research