Infection length and host environment influence on Plasmodium falciparum dry season reservoir.

ABSTRACT: Persistence of malaria parasites in asymptomatic hosts is crucial in areas of seasonally-interrupted transmission, where P. falciparum bridges wet seasons months apart. During the dry season, infected erythrocytes exhibit extended circulation with reduced cytoadherence, increasing the risk of splenic clearance of infected cells and hindering parasitaemia increase. However, what determines parasite persistence for long periods of time remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether seasonality affects plasma composition so that P. falciparum can detect and adjust to changing serological cues; or if alternatively, parasite infection length dictates clinical presentation and persistency. Data from Malian children exposed to alternating ~6-month wet and dry seasons show that plasma composition

SUBMITTER: Andrade CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11473648 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature