Century-Old Malaria Parasite Puzzle Solved as Ape Origin Traced
Published:12 Apr.2022 Source:University of Edinburgh
They have discovered that the parasite P. malariae - one of six species that spreads malaria among humans - originated in African apes before evolving to infect people. While it is often associated with mild disease, if untreated P. malariae can cause long-lasting, chronic infections that may last a lifetime, researchers say. The evolutionary puzzle has its origins in the 1920s when scientists identified chimpanzees infected by parasites that appeared identical to P. malariae under a microscope.
It was thought both parasites belonged to the same species, but - until now - this could not be verified as the genetic make-up of the chimpanzee strain had never been studied. Now, scientists at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, have used leading edge techniques to study the parasites' DNA. They have found that there are, in fact, three distinct species. One species - P. malariae - infects mainly humans, while the two others infect apes.