@article{fdi:010046190,
  title = {{A} new malaria agent in {A}frican hominids},
  author = {{O}llomo, {B}. and {D}urand, {P}atrick and {P}rugnolle, {F}ranck and {D}ouzery, {E}. and {A}rnathau, {C}{\'e}line and {N}koghe, {D}. and {L}eroy, {E}ric and {R}enaud, {F}ran{\c{c}}ois},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{P}lasmodium falciparum is the major human malaria agent responsible for 200 to 300 million infections and one to three million deaths annually, mainly among {A}frican infants. {T}he origin and evolution of this pathogen within the human lineage is still unresolved. {A} single species, {P}. reichenowi, which infects chimpanzees, is known to be a close sister lineage of {P}. falciparum. {H}ere we report the discovery of a new {P}lasmodium species infecting {H}ominids. {T}his new species has been isolated in two chimpanzees ({P}an troglodytes) kept as pets by villagers in {G}abon ({A}frica). {A}nalysis of its complete mitochondrial genome (5529 nucleotides including {C}yt b, {C}ox {I} and {C}ox {III} genes) reveals an older divergence of this lineage from the clade that includes {P}. falciparum and {P}. reichenowi (similar to 21 +/- 9 {M}yrs ago using {B}ayesian methods and considering that the divergence between {P}. falciparum and {P}. reichenowi occurred 4 to 7 million years ago as generally considered in the literature). {T}his time frame would be congruent with the radiation of hominoids, suggesting that this {P}lasmodium lineage might have been present in early hominoids and that they may both have experienced a simultaneous diversification. {I}nvestigation of the nuclear genome of this new species will further the understanding of the genetic adaptations of {P}. falciparum to humans. {T}he risk of transfer and emergence of this new species in humans must be now seriously considered given that it was found in two chimpanzees living in contact with humans and its close relatedness to the most virulent agent of malaria.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {P}athogens},
  volume = {5},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {e1000446},
  ISSN = {1553-7366},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1000446},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010046190},
}