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Worms and malaria: noisy nuisances and silent benefits
Author(s) -
Nacher Mathieu
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3024.2002.00470.x
Subject(s) - malaria , biology , immunology , coinfection , helminths , protozoa , plasmodium falciparum , cryptosporidium , plasmodium (life cycle) , immunity , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , immune system , ecology , parasite hosting , genetics , world wide web , computer science , feces
Summary The burden of malaria mortality has been a major evolutionary influence on human immunity. The selection of the most successful immune responses against malaria has been in populations concomitantly infected by intestinal helminths. Animal models have shown that coinfections with helminths and protozoa in the same host elicit a range of antagonist and synergistic interactions. Recent findings suggest similar interactions take place between helminths, Plasmodium falciparum and humans. However, as the threat of HIV and tuberculosis becomes a major selective force, what used to be a successful ecological system may now prove detrimental. Nevertheless, the understanding of the ecological forces at play may expose new intervention targets for malaria control, and give a new perspective on our shortcomings against the deadliest of human parasites.