Estimating Geographical Variation in the Risk of Zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi Infection in Countries Eliminating Malaria
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004915
- PMID
- 27494405
- PMCID
- PMC4975412
- OpenAlex
- W2497599617
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Because P. knowlesi is often misidentified as human malaria and can cause severe and fatal disease, understanding its distribution is critical for identifying areas where malaria transmission will persist after human malarias are eliminated. The map provides an initial evidence base for surveillance prioritization in malaria-eliminating countries.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study aimed to estimate the geographical distribution and risk of zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi infection across Southeast Asian countries working toward malaria elimination.
Study design
The authors collated 439 records of P. knowlesi infections in humans, macaque reservoirs, and vector species, then fitted a spatial risk model using data from high-coverage countries and extrapolated predictions to regions with sparse data throughout Southeast Asia.
Population and setting
The study covered nine Southeast Asian countries where human P. knowlesi cases have been confirmed, including Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Main findings
The resulting fine-scale risk map identified areas of high P. knowlesi infection risk in several countries forecast to be malaria-free by 2025 (Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam) and in countries projected to be eliminating malaria (Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines). The map highlights priority surveillance areas where data are sparse but estimated risk is high.
Public-health relevance
Because P. knowlesi is often misidentified as human malaria and can cause severe and fatal disease, understanding its distribution is critical for identifying areas where malaria transmission will persist after human malarias are eliminated. The map provides an initial evidence base for surveillance prioritization in malaria-eliminating countries.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. The abstract does not explicitly state methodological limitations, data quality issues, or validation measures. The original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation of model assumptions, prediction uncertainty, and generalizability.
GIDS interpretation
The article is classified under Malaria, One Health, Surveillance, and Transmission dynamics for eight Southeast Asian countries. It addresses zoonotic spillover risk and spatial epidemiology in the context of malaria elimination, making it discoverable for queries on residual transmission, cross-species infection, and surveillance strategy in elimination settings.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 14 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.