ANIMALARIA™
Some pldh mabs reacting with animal- human malaria
A combination of 5 of our antibodies (from Flow Inc. Portland Oregon ,USA) directed to parasite lactate dehydrogenase enables a new rapid test we have called Animalaria™ to diagnose all Plasmodium spp. (malaria). That is , with this Animalaria™ test , we are so far able to detect an infection with any Plasmodium species. Initial evidence ,using combinations of our mabs, permits speciation.
Flow's test is unlike the rapid malaria tests which detect the HRP2 antigen. These HRP2 tests can only detect certain genetic variants of nonviable and viable P.falciparum. Consequently, they have no role in therapeutic monitoring , and are also quite limited in evaluation of the distribution of the multiple forms of animal malaria around the world. For example:
Honey creepers in Hawaii (P.relictum), black faced penquins in Southern Africa (P.gallinaceum), gorillas's in Africa (P.reichenowi) are ill and dying from malaria.These parasites can be easily detected and their illness followed by a single line assay which uses our (Flow Inc. Portland Oregon USA) antibodies directed to parasite Lactate Dehydrogenase.
We can no longer expect to control malaria by just diagnosing and treating malaria in humans. We must also be aware of the types of malaria present in the animal populations where we live. (See Balbir Singh and colleagues in Lancet March 2004). Look at the chart above , and please note that P. brasilianum (in monkeys) is identical to P. malariae (in humans), and that P. reichenowi (in gorillas) is very similar to P.falciparum (in humans).
