Why relapsing malaria (vivax and ovale) keeps coming back in Africa
Relapsing malaria in Africa: mechanisms for persistence amid falciparum decline
Using new field tests and genetic tools, researchers will find how the vivax and ovale malaria parasites cause repeat infections in African communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11405702 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you live in areas of Africa where malaria is common, this work will collect blood samples and use portable molecular tests to detect Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale infections. Researchers will use genetic fingerprinting and follow-up sampling to distinguish new infections from relapses that come from dormant liver stages. Field and lab methods will be combined to track when people become infectious and how infections spread in the community. The aim is to reveal hidden relapse and transmission patterns that routine clinic testing can miss.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people in malaria-endemic African communities with recent or recurrent fevers or confirmed vivax/ovale infections who can provide blood samples and attend follow-up visits.
Not a fit: People who only have Plasmodium falciparum infections, who live outside endemic regions, or who cannot provide follow-up samples are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could lead to better tests, targeted treatments, and public health strategies to prevent relapse and reduce hidden transmission of vivax and ovale malaria in Africa.
How similar studies have performed: Molecular diagnostics and genotyping have been used successfully elsewhere to detect vivax/ovale, but detailed studies of relapse timing and transmission in Africa remain limited, so this work is addressing a largely untested problem.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Juliano, Jonathan J — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Juliano, Jonathan J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.