Why relapsing vivax and ovale malaria keep coming back in Africa
Relapsing malaria in Africa: mechanisms for persistence amid falciparum decline
This project looks at why Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale infections persist and cause relapses in people in Africa using new field tests and genetic tools.
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-11117185 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect blood samples from people in affected African communities and use field-deployable molecular tests to detect vivax and ovale infections. They will perform high-throughput genetic typing to track how parasites transmit and reappear over time. The team will combine clinic-based sampling with community surveys to better understand when and how relapses happen. Findings will help map where these species are hiding and how often relapse drives ongoing malaria.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living in or traveling through participating malaria-endemic areas of Africa who have current or recent symptoms of malaria or who are willing to provide blood samples for testing.
Not a fit: People without vivax or ovale exposure (for example only infected with falciparum or living outside the study sites) are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better diagnostics and prevention strategies to reduce relapsing malaria and fewer recurrent infections for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work in Africa has been limited to surveys and clinic samples, so applying portable molecular diagnostics and large-scale genotyping is relatively new for these species.
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.