Linda Duval; Eric Nerrienet; Dominique Rousset; Serge Alain Sadeuh Mba; Sandrine Houze; Mathieu Fourment; Jacques Le Bras; Vincent Robert; Frederic Ariey

“ Abstract Since the 1970's, the diversity of Plasmodium parasites in African great apes has been neglected. Surprisingly, P. reichenowi, a chimpanzee parasite, is the only such parasite to have been molecularly characterized. This parasite is closely phylogenetically related to P. falciparum, the principal cause of the greatest malaria burden in humans. Studies of malaria parasites from anthropoid primates may provide relevant phylogenetic information, improving our understanding of the origin and evolutionary history of human malaria species. ”

“ A large molecular epidemiology study would be required to improve the documentation of potential natural bidirectional transmission between chimpanzee and human populations living in sympatry, making it possible to evaluate the potential role of African great apes as a reservoir for P. ovale in West Africa. The question raised by Haydon et al. (2002) concerning the possibility of human Plasmodium species being permanently maintained in chimpanzee populations, from which infection is transmitted to human, remains to be explored [24] . ”

“ Haemosporidia are intracellular parasites transmitted by haematophagous dipterans. They infect a large variety of vertebrate amniotes, such as mammals (including humans) , birds, chelonians, squamates, and crocodilians, [1] . ”