The Biology of Plasmodium vivax

Plasmodium vivax is the second most prevalent cause of malaria worldwide and the leading cause of malaria outside of Africa. Although infections are seldom fatal clinical disease can be debilitating and imposes significant health and economic impacts on affected populations. Estimates of transmission and prevalence intensity can be problematic because many episodes of vivax originate from hypnozoite stages in the liver that have remained dormant from previous infections by an unknown mechanism. Lack of treatment options to clear hypnozoites and the ability to infect mosquitoes before disease symptoms present represent major challenges for control and eradication of vivax malaria. Compounding these challenges is the unique biology of P. vivax and limited progress in development of experimental research tools, thereby hindering development of new drugs and vaccines. Renewed emphasis on vivax malaria research is beginning to make progress in overcoming some of these challenges.