PLASMODIUM-VIVAX AND PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM - BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CROSS-SPECIES IMMUNITY

The question of whether infection of humans with one species of malari a parasite alters the course of infection with another has been largel y ignored because no such interaction was found during studies of indu ced malaria in patients with neurosyphilis. However, in animal model s ystems some degree of cross-species interaction is the rule rather tha n the exception. Furthermore, recent epidemiological observations in V anuatu in the South Pacific have suggested a biological interaction be tween the dominant species, Plasmodium vivax, and P. falciparum. Kathr yn Maitland, Tom Williams and Chris Newbold here speculate on the basi s of these observations and other published findings that infection wi th P. vivax may result in the development of immunity sufficient to am eliorate the clinical course of subsequent infections with the potenti ally lethal parasite P. falciparum.