Adaptation of a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium vivax from Indonesia to New World monkeys

The spread of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium vivax from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia poses a serious health threat to areas of Southeast Asia wher e this species of malaria parasite is endemic. A strain of P. vivax from In donesia was adapted to develop in splenectomized Aotus lemurinus griseimemb ra, Aotus vociferans, Aotus nancymai, and Saimiri boliviensis monkeys. Tran smission to splenectomized Saimiri monkeys was obtained via sporozoites. Ch emotherapeutic studies indicated that the strain was resistant to chloroqui ne and amodiaquine while sensitive to mefloquine. Infections of chloroquine -resistant P. vivax in New World monkeys should be useful for the developme nt of alternative treatments.