A zoonotic human infection with simian malaria, Plasmodium knowlesi, in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: The Indonesian archipelago is endemic for malaria. Although Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax are the most common causes for malaria cases, P. malariae and P. ovale are also present in certain regions. Zoonotic case of malaria had just became the attention of public health communities after the Serawak study in 2004. However, zoonotic case in Indonesia is still under reported; only one published report of knowlesi malaria in South Kalimantan in 2010. Case presentation: A case of Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a worker from a charcoal mining company in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia was described. The worker suffered from fever following his visit to a lowland forest being cut and converted into a new mining location. Conclusion: This study confirmed a zoonotic infection using polymerase chain reaction amplification and Sanger sequencing of plasmodial DNA encoding the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI).