An analysis of the geographical distribution of Plasmodium ovale

Abstract

For a long time Plasmodium ovale was considered a very rare causal agent of malaria, but recently it has been shown to be a fairly common parasite in Africa. The authors analyse all the findings of P. ovale outside tropical Africa and describe its distribution. This species is distributed in 2 areas, the first confined to tropical Africa and the second to islands in the Western Pacific. The authors make a medico-geographical analysis of the distribution of P. ovale, and attempt to explain particular features of it.