How prevalent is Plasmodium malariae in Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon?

[摘要] : We have compared results of Plasmodium species identification obtained with conventional on-site microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick smears (GTS) and a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 96 malaria patients from Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon. Mixed-species infections were detected by PCR in 30% patients, but no such case had been found on GTS. Moreover, P. malariae infections were detected in 9 of 96 patients (10%) by PCR, but were not identified by local microscopists. The potential impact of species misidentification on malaria treatment and control is discussed.

[学科分类] 农业科学（综合）

[关键词] Malaria diagnosis;PCR;Brazilian Amazon;Plasmodium malariae