Defining the Geographical Range of the Plasmodium knowlesi Reservoir

Authors

Catherine L. Moyes, University of OxfordFollow
Andrew J. Henry, University of Oxford
Nick Golding, University of Oxford
Zhi Huang, University of Oxford
Balbir Singh, Malaria Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
J. Kevin Baird, ALERTAsia FoundationFollow
Paul N. Newton, University of Oxford
Michael Huffman, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
Kirsten A. Duda, University of Oxford
Chris J. Drakeley, Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
Iqbal R.F. Elyazar, Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Jakarta, IndonesiaFollow
Nicholas M. Anstey, Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Qijun Chen, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Zinta Zommers, Division of Early Warning and Assessment, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
Samir Bhatt, University of Oxford
Peter W. Gething, University of Oxford
Simon I. Hay, University of Oxford

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Moyes CL, Henry AJ, Golding N, Huang Z, Singh B, et al. (2014) Defining the Geographical Range of the Plasmodium knowlesi Reservoir. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8(3): e2780.

Abstract

Background: The simian malaria parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi, can cause severe and fatal disease in humans yet it is rarely included in routine public health reporting systems for malaria and its geographical range is largely unknown. Because malaria caused by P. knowlesi is a truly neglected tropical disease, there are substantial obstacles to defining the geographical extent and risk of this disease. Information is required on the occurrence of human cases in different locations, on which non-human primates host this parasite and on which vectors are able to transmit it to humans. We undertook a systematic review and ranked the existing evidence, at a subnational spatial scale, to investigate the potential geographical range of the parasite reservoir capable of infecting humans.

Methodology/Principal Findings: After reviewing the published literature we identified potential host and vector species and ranked these based on how informative they are for the presence of an infectious parasite reservoir, based on current evidence. We collated spatial data on parasite occurrence and the ranges of the identified host and vector species. The ranked spatial data allowed us to assign an evidence score to 475 subnational areas in 19 countries and we present the results on a map of the Southeast and South Asia region.

Conclusions/Significance: We have ranked subnational areas within the potential disease range according to evidence for presence of a disease risk to humans, providing geographical evidence to support decisions on prevention, management and prophylaxis. This work also highlights the unknown risk status of large parts of the region. Within this unknown category, our map identifies which areas have most evidence for the potential to support an infectious reservoir and are therefore a priority for further investigation. Furthermore we identify geographical areas where further investigation of putative host and vector species would be highly informative for the region-wide assessment.