Malaria Zoonoses and its Future Challenges

Abstract

After discovery of malaria parasites and their transmission by Anophelines, until recently, malaria was antroponotic disease caused by four Plasmodium species. These parasites were circulated among humans by different vectors around the world. Coatney [1] reported the first known case of naturally infected simian malaria, Plasmodium knowlesi, in human [1,2]. Near to half of century later that discovery, with applying molecular techniques, detection and identification of simian malaria, especially P. knowlesi, was renewed [3]. Recently, Baird [4] revised the biology and medicine of zoonoses malaria [4]. CoxSingh [5] indicated the role of other simian malaria, P. inui and P. synomology, in human infection at Southeast Asia [5].