Can treatment of P. vivax lead to a unexpected appearance of falciparum malaria?

Abstract

Of 994 patients admitted to the Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases for P. vivax malaria, 104 (10.5%) experienced appearance of Plasmodium falciparum following drug treatment for P. vivax. In all patients, P. falciparum parasites were not found by microscopic examination upon admission. The mean time for P. falciparum appearance was 12.6 days after the commencement of chloroquine treatment. Patients experiencing appearance of P. falciparum had significantly lower hematocrit, and greater initial P. vivax parasite counts. We use a mathematical model to explore the consequences of chloroquine treatment of such mixed infections. Both clinical results and features of the model suggest that such "hidden infections" may be quite common, and that the appearance of P. falciparum may be stimulated by treatment of P. vivax.