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Public Library of Science, PLoS Pathogens, 2(7), p. e1001283, 2011

DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001283

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A Fresh Look at the Origin of Plasmodium falciparum, the Most Malignant Malaria Agent

Journal article published in 2011 by Franck Prugnolle, Patrick Durand, Benjamin Ollomo, Linda Duval, Frédéric Ariey, Céline Arnathau, Jean-Paul Gonzalez ORCID, Eric Leroy ORCID, François Renaud
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

From which host did the most malignant human malaria come: birds, primates, or rodents? When did the transfer occur? Over the last half century, these have been some of the questions up for debate about the origin of Plasmodium falciparum, the most common and deadliest human malaria parasite, which is responsible for at least one million deaths every year. Recent findings bring elements in favor of a transfer from great apes, but are these evidences really solid? What are the grey areas that remain to be clarified? Here, we examine in depth these new elements and discuss how they modify our perception of the origin and evolution of P. falciparum. We also discuss the perspectives these new discoveries open.