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Identification of the five human Plasmodium species including P. knowlesi by real-time polymerase chain reaction

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Abstract

Recently, Plasmodium knowlesi has been recognised as the fifth Plasmodium species causing malaria in humans. Hundreds of human cases infected with this originally simian Plasmodium species have been described in Asian countries and increasing numbers are reported in Europe from travellers. The growing impact of tourism and economic development in South and Southeast Asia are expected to subsequently lead to a further increase in cases both among locals and among travellers. P. knowlesi is easily misidentified in microscopy as P. malariae or P. falciparum. We developed new primers for the rapid and specific detection of this species by low-cost real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and added this method to an already existing panel of primers used for the molecular identification of the other four species in one reaction. Reference laboratories should now be able to identify undisputably and rapidly P. knowlesi, as it is a potentially fatal pathogen.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the staff of the Centre National de Reference du Paludisme (CNR Paludisme), France, for their helpful discussions in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, Hôpitaux de Brabois, CHU de Nancy, 11 Allée du Morvan, 54511, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    O. Oddoux, A. Debourgogne & M. Machouart

  2. EA RHEM 4369, Faculté de Médecine, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, 9 Avenue de la Forêt de Haye, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    O. Oddoux, A. Debourgogne & M. Machouart

  3. Service de Biologie Clinique, Hôpital d’Instruction des Armées Legouest, 27, Avenue de Plantières, B.P. 90001, 57077, Metz Cedex 3, France

    O. Oddoux, S. Vedy & J. M. Puyhardy

  4. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    A. Kantele

  5. Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    A. Kantele & T. S. Jokiranta

  6. Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2280 GH, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

    C. H. Kocken

Authors
  1. O. Oddoux
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  2. A. Debourgogne
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  3. A. Kantele
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  4. C. H. Kocken
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  5. T. S. Jokiranta
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  6. S. Vedy
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  7. J. M. Puyhardy
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  8. M. Machouart
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Machouart.

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Oddoux, O., Debourgogne, A., Kantele, A. et al. Identification of the five human Plasmodium species including P. knowlesi by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 30, 597–601 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-010-1126-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-010-1126-5

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