Abstract

CACERES G, José Luis. Epidemiology of Plasmodium malariae in Venezuela (1999 - 2008). Bol Mal Salud Amb [online]. 2009, vol.49, n.2, pp.303-307. ISSN 1690-4648.

Malaria remains a major global problem, affecting in an unacceptable way the health and economic welfare of the world’s poorest communities. In Venezuela, during the decade 1999 - 2008, 341,200 cases of malaria were diagnosed, with an incidence of 0.1% for Plasmodium malariae. Historically it has been known that the incidence of this Plasmodium was unique to the Amazon state as shown by the national malaria program records. Now most of the diagnoses (61.4%) are made in Bolivar state in sixty-nine (69) localities, some may be considered as foci of P. malariae in the last three years, especially the town of Matupo I in the municipality Sifontes. Although the central or national reference laboratory for malaria diagnosis of the Directorate of Environmental Health, located in the city of Maracay, was unable to corroborate the diagnoses on this species, it has an increased interest in it, including a group of researchers and the Regional Bureau of Environmental Sanitation in Bolívar state, who think this could be the cause of increased incidence in the area.

Keywords : Epidemiology; malaria; incidence; Plasmodium malariae.