Epidemiological, Physiological and Diagnostic Comparison of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri

Nowadays, Plasmodium ovale is divided into two non-recombinant sympatric species: Plasmodium ovale wallikeri and Plasmodium ovale curtisi. In this mini review, we summarize the available knowledge on the clinical/biological aspects of P. ovale spp. malaria and current techniques for the diagnosis/characterisation of P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri. P. ovale wallikeri infections are characterized by a deeper thrombocytopenia and shorter latency compared to P. ovale curtisi infections, indicating that P. ovale wallikeri is more pathogenic than P. ovale curtisi. Rapid diagnosis for effective management is difficult for P. ovale spp., since specific rapid diagnostic tests are not available and microscopic diagnosis, which is recognized as the gold standard, requires expert microscopists to differentiate P. ovale spp. from other Plasmodium species. Neglect in addressing these issues in the prevalence of P. ovale spp. represents the existing gap in the fight against malaria.