Last Updated: 21/02/2024
Emerging zoonotic malaria in Malaysia: Strengthening surveillance and evaluating population genetic structure to improve regional risk prediction tools
Objectives
To improve molecular state-wide malaria surveillance detection systems to monitor for changing epidemiological and clinical features of disease, including in pregnancy, which potentially could occur with adaption of P. knowlesi to human-human transmission.
Infectious Disease Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah (IDSKKS), Malaysia
Southeast Asia remains a global hotspot for emerging zoonotic infectious diseases. The recent increase in transmission of the monkey malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi, endemic to Southeast Asia, exemplifies how land-use change can drive disease spill-over to humans. In Malaysia, P. knowlesi now accounts for the vast majority of malaria cases and is the predominant cause of malaria-related deaths. Recent reports suggest that P. knowlesi is also the predominant species in parts of western Indonesia, and that due to misidentification by microscopy, under-diagnosis is likely widespread across the region. Molecular surveillance is essential for monitoring the emergence of zoonotic P. knowlesi, informing malaria control strategies, and assessing progress towards elimination of the human-only malaria species.
Sep 2021 — Aug 2026
$269,889
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