The Chesson Strain of Plasmodium vivax in Humans and Different Species of Aotus Monkeys

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 80; no. 1; pp. 152 - 159
• Main Authors: Collins, William E, Sullivan, Joann S, Jeffery, Geoffrey M, Williams, Allison, Galland, G. Gale, Nace, Douglas, Williams, Tyrone, Barnwell, John W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Deerfield, IL ASTMH 01.01.2009; American Society of Tropical Medecine and Hygiene
• Subjects: Animals; Aotidae - parasitology; Aotus; Aotus lemurinus griseimembra; Biological and medical sciences; Culicidae - parasitology; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Infectious diseases; Malaria, Vivax - diagnosis; Medical sciences; Parasitemia - diagnosis; Parasitemia - physiopathology; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium vivax - classification; Plasmodium vivax - isolation & purification; Primates; Splenectomy; Human; Protozoa; Plasmodium vivax; Apicomplexa; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Monkey; Primates; Tropical medicine
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2009.80.152
• ISSN: 0002-9637

Comparison was made between the parasitemia of Chesson strain Plasmodium vivax in humans and in splenectomized Aotus lemurinus griseimembra, A. nancymaae, A. vociferans, and A. azarae boliviensis monkeys. In the monkeys, 56.3% of the animals had maximum counts > 25,000/muL and in humans 59.6% were above this peak parasitemia. In humans, it took an average of 9.3 days to reach the maximum parasite count. In monkeys with no previous infections, it took an average of 18.9 days to reach the maximum parasite count; for those with previous infections, it took an average of 15 days. Human and nonhuman primate data on this parasite suggest that splenectomized Aotus monkeys, particularly A. lemurinus griseimembra, and to a somewhat lesser extent A. vociferans, can mimic the course of Chesson malaria in humans regarding parasitemia and mosquito infection.