New article published in Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases!
The emergence of asymptomatic and lower parasitemia cases has reduced the detection of P. vivax with conventional surveillance methods. This situation raises questions about whether people without symptoms or with low levels of the parasite can still spread the disease and act as sources of infection. In regions with low transmission, like the Peruvian Amazon, our three-year cohort study can help understand how the pattern of transmission changes over time due to various factors. These factors include the time of recurrences detection, factors associated with recurrence development, and evolution and resolution of infections over time. The analysis of the sociodemographic factors has an important contribution to the understanding of the heterogeneous transmission of malaria in the Amazon. By studying malaria endemic communities over an extended period, we have uncovered a high proportion of people experiencing repeated recurrences of the infection, often without showing any symptoms. We have also confirmed that molecular diagnosis methods are more effective. Additionally, our results emphasize the significance of factors such as community, occupation, and previous malaria infection in recurrence cases. Finally, our findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of infections over time and how external factors influence transmission in endemic areas.
Check it out: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012566.