Cyclical transmission of Chesson vivax malaria in subhuman primates.

IMMUNOLOGICAL and chemotherapeutic studies of human malaria in primates have been hampered by an inability to establish a reliable sporozoite passage of parasites. Although sporozoite transmission of falciparum and vivax malaria has been achieved in Aotus trivirgatus1,2, only a single mosquito–Aotus–mosquito cycle of the Achiote (Panama) isolate of Plasmodium vivax has been reported3. Attempts to reinfect Aotus with this strain by mosquito bite failed, although a human volunteer was reinfected by this route.