Article
Immunology
Seong-Kyun Lee, Tuyet Kha Nguyen, Franziska Mohring, Jin-Hee Han, Egy Rahman Firdaus, Sung-Hun Na, Won-Sun Park, Robert W. Moon, Eun-Taek Han
Summary: This study investigated the function of Plasmodium knowlesi merozoite surface protein 1 paralog (PkMSP1P) through recombinant protein and gene editing techniques. The results demonstrated that PkMSP1P is involved in the in vitro growth of P. knowlesi, playing a distinct role from PkMSP1. Additionally, the study revealed immune cross-reactivity between PkMSP1P-19 antibodies and PkMSP1-19.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Kimberly M. Fornace, Gabriel Zorello Laporta, Indra Vythilingham, Trock Hing Chua, rock Hing Chua, Kamruddin Ahmed, Nantha K. Jeyaprakasam, Ana Maria Ribeiro de Castro Duarte, Amirah Amir, Wei Kit Phang, Chris Drakeley, Maria Anice M. Sallum, Yee Ling Lau
Summary: Simian malaria from wild non-human primate populations poses a public health threat, causing human malaria in Malaysia and Brazil. Current malaria control methods are ineffective, requiring the development of new strategies to target wildlife reservoirs and outdoor-biting mosquito vectors.
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Noorazian Md Yusuf, Jannah Zulkefli, Adela Ida Jiram, Indra Vythilingam, Shamilah Hisam, Renuka Devi, Afiqah Salehhuddin, Nurulshuhada Md Ali, Maccallyster Isa, Norwahida Alias, Nurhainis Ogu Salim, Adli Abd Aziz, Lokman Hakim Sulaiman
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of simian Plasmodium infections among long-tailed macaques in Malaysia. The results showed that P. cynomolgi infection was the most prevalent, and the infection rates of P. cynomolgi and P. knowlesi were highest in areas with close human-macaque contact. The risk of zoonotic infection in these areas needs to be addressed and preventive measures should be taken.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Meizhi Irene Li, Diyar Mailepessov, Indra Vythilingam, Vernon Lee, Patrick Lam, Lee Ching Ng, Cheong Huat Tan
Summary: The study revealed that Singapore's wild long-tailed macaques are natural hosts of the five simian malaria parasite species, while no malaria was detected in all peridomestic macaques tested. Therefore, the risk of simian malaria transmission to the general human population is concluded to be low.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Damilola R. Oresegun, Cyrus Daneshvar, Janet Cox-Singh
Summary: Malaria is a significant health issue in African nations, and the pathophysiology of severe disease remains poorly understood. Utilizing Plasmodium knowlesi as a model system can provide valuable insights into severe malaria. The use of the MinION platform for generating long-read third-generation Plasmodium genome sequence data offers accessible and real-time information on clinically relevant parasite diversity.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yu-Xin Chen, Yi-Rong Lou, Li-Jun Duan, Qian-Jin Zhou, Zhong-Jie Xu, Fang-Jie Chen, Hong-Xian Chen, Gui-Zong Xu, Ai-Fang Du, Jiong Chen
Summary: The combination of a microfluidic chip and loop-mediated isothermal amplification enables the detection of five zoonotic parasites in a fast and accurate manner. This method has the advantages of low reagent consumption, easy operation, and simultaneous analysis of multiple samples and genetic targets, making it suitable for on-site detection and routine monitoring.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Nantha Kumar Jeyaprakasam, Sandthya Pramasivan, Jonathan Wee Kent Liew, Lun Van Low, Wan-Yusoff Wan-Sulaiman, Romano Ngui, Jenarun Jelip, Indra Vythilingam
Summary: The study evaluated the potential of Mosquito Magnet as a collection tool for Anopheles mosquito vectors of simian malaria and found that while it was slightly less efficient compared to human trapping methods, it showed superior performance in catching certain Anopheles species.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Cristina Costales, Mora Jana Broadhurst, Indre Budvytiene, Niaz Banaei
Summary: The Alethia Malaria LAMP assay showed high sensitivity and specificity in malaria screening and can be used as a stand-alone screening method. This method has advantages in non-endemic areas.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jeyamalar T. Thurai Rathnam, Matthew J. Grigg, Saber Dini, Timothy William, Sitti Saimah Sakam, Daniel J. Cooper, Giri S. Rajahram, Bridget E. Barber, Nicholas M. Anstey, Ali Haghiri, Megha Rajasekhar, Julie A. Simpson
Summary: This study compared two methods, the standard two-stage approach and Bayesian hierarchical modeling, for estimating parasite clearance rate in knowlesi malaria treatment efficacy studies. The Bayesian method estimated a faster population mean parasite clearance rate compared to the standard two-stage method, and confirmed that artemisinin-based combination therapy is more effective than chloroquine in treating knowlesi malaria.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Janeeca Sam, Nadia Aqilla Shamsusah, Amatul Hamizah Ali, Rozita Hod, Mohd Rohaizat Hassan, Hani Kartini Agustar
Summary: The study of simian malaria epidemiology among macaques in Malaysia is important for public health management. This systematic review gathered data from the past two decades and found that the most prevalent Plasmodium species in macaques are P. inui and P. cynomolgi, and the prevalence of simian malaria is higher in East Malaysia.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Tobias Mourier, Denise Anete Madureira de Alvarenga, Abhinav Kaushik, Anielle de Pina-Costa, Olga Douvropoulou, Qingtian Guan, Francisco J. Guzman-Vega, Sarah Forrester, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu, Cesare Bianco Junior, Julio Cesar de Souza Junior, Silvia Bahadian Moreira, Zelinda Maria Braga Hirano, Alcides Pissinatti, Maria de Fatima Ferreira-da-Cruz, Ricardo Lourenco de Oliveira, Stefan T. Arold, Daniel C. Jeffares, Patricia Brasil, Cristiana Ferreira Alves de Brito, Richard Culleton, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro, Arnab Pain
Summary: Plasmodium simium, a malaria parasite of non-human primates, likely originated in South America from Plasmodium vivax and has recently acquired the ability to infect humans. Genetic analysis suggests that specific gene deletions in P. simium, especially in the Duffy-binding protein 1 (DBP1), may play a role in its ability to invade human red blood cells, leading to recent zoonotic infections.
Article
Microbiology
Danielle Stanisic, Mei-Fong Ho, Reshma Nevagi, Emily Cooper, Maddison Walton, Md Tanjir Islam, Waleed M. Hussein, Mariusz Skwarczynski, Istvan Toth, Michael F. Good
Summary: Malaria vaccine research has shifted towards whole-parasite vaccines, which present a broad repertoire of antigens to the immune system to limit antigenic polymorphism. This study developed an enhanced liposomal vaccine that induced protective immune responses in mice and strong cellular immune responses, making significant progress towards evaluating the vaccine in clinical trials.
Article
Microbiology
Franziska Mohring, Donelly A. van Schalkwyk, Ryan C. Henrici, Benjamin Blasco, Didier Leroy, Colin J. Sutherland, Robert W. Moon
Summary: Several unrelated antimalarial compounds targeting PfATP4 have lower efficacy against other malaria parasite species infecting humans. By replacing the ATP4 genes in P. knowlesi with orthologues from different species, researchers found significant differences in susceptibility to ATP4 inhibitors among the parasites. This study highlights the importance of developing antimalarials that can effectively target all human malaria parasite species.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Huma Aftab, Michael Kemp, Christen R. Stensvold, Henrik V. Nielsen, Marie M. Jakobsen, Anders Porskrog, Ram B. Dessau
Summary: Plasmodium knowlesi is an emerging infection in the Southeast Asian region, especially in Sabah, Malaysia, and is the main cause of reported malaria cases. However, imported P. knowlesi infection is rarely seen in Europe. We report a case of P. knowlesi infection in a Danish woman returning from a short trip to Malaysian Borneo. Although microscopy revealed 0.8% infected erythrocytes, molecular methods were used for conclusive species identification due to atypical morphological presentation.
TRAVEL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Ram Das, Kapil Vashisht, Kailash C. Pandey
Summary: A novel multiplex qPCR assay was developed to detect non-human malaria parasites in Indian populations at risk. The assay showed high specificity and sensitivity, making it a valuable tool for mass screening and surveillance programs, aiming to control and eliminate malaria from India by 2030.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)