Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium vivax Causing Epidemic Malaria in the Republic of Korea.

Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium vivax Causing Epidemic Malaria in the Republic of Korea.
Korean J Parasitol. 2018 Dec;56(6):545-552
Authors: Bahk YY, Kim J, Ahn SK, Na BK, Chai JY, Kim TS
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is more challenging to control and eliminate than P. falciparum due to its more asymptomatic infections with low parasite densities making diagnosis more difficult, in addition to its unique biological characteristics. The potential re-introduction of incidence cases, either through borders or via human migrations, is another major hurdle to sustained control and elimination. The Republic of Korea has experienced re-emergence of vivax malaria in 1993 but is one of the 32 malaria-eliminating countries to-date. Despite achieving successful nationwide control and elimination of vivax malaria, the evolutionary characteristics of vivax malaria isolates in the Republic of Korea have not been fully understood. In this review, we present an overview of the genetic variability of such isolates to increase understanding of the epidemiology, diversity, and dynamics of vivax populations in the Republic of Korea.
PMID: 30630274 [PubMed - in process]

Source: Korean Journal of Parasitology - January 12, 2019 Category: Parasitology Tags: Korean J Parasitol Source Type: research