Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41721394›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2026

Asymptomatic and submicroscopic Plasmodium vivax infection: a study previous to malaria-free certification in Argentina.

María J Dantur-Juri, Roberto D Coello-Peralta, Davis E Calle-Atariguana, Mercedes M Arevalo-Bozada, Paul L Duque, Natalia González-Piñeres, Virginie Rougeron, Fanny Degrugillier, Stefania Dentice-Maidana, Jonathan Liria-Salazar and 1 more

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. A review of bloodstream infections-pathogens, pathogenesis, diagnostic strategies, treatment methods-challenges and future aspects.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

María J Dantur-JuriUnidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina. mjdantur@lillo.org.ar.
Roberto D Coello-PeraltaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, University of Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador.
Davis E Calle-AtariguanaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, University of Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador.
Mercedes M Arevalo-BozadaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, University of Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador.
Paul L DuqueUnidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
Natalia González-PiñeresUnidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
Virginie RougeronInternational Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa.
Fanny DegrugillierLaboratory MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
Stefania Dentice-MaidanaInstituto de Genética y Microbiología, Fundación Miguel Lillo, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
Jonathan Liria-SalazarUniversidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Napo, Ecuador.
Mario O ZaidenbergCoordinación Nacional de Control de Vectores, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Salta, Argentina.

Funding

Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT PICT-2014-3281)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundArgentina was certified malaria-free by the WHO in 2019 after eight years with no instances of local transmission. Epidemiological surveillance was focused on detecting Plasmodium vivax in areas where the last cases had been reported.

methodsDuring the national malaria surveillance program (2013-2018), several human blood samples were collected across neighborhoods using traditional microscopy and molecular techniques (2013-2017) to detect any silent circulation of P. vivax. In 2022, post-certification, 92 blood samples preserved in Whatman FTA paper were analyzed for the first time to detect the presence of Plasmodium parasites by amplifying and sequencing a fragment of the Plasmodium cytochrome b gene.

resultsA submicroscopic, asymptomatic P. vivax infection was identified in a 66-year-old individual from La Bendición neighborhood, Salvador Mazza, Salta province (northwestern Argentina). The individual had no history of travel to any P. vivax-endemic region. This case was the first detected infection among the samples collected from various localities along Argentina's borders with Bolivia (northwest) and Brazil (northeast). DISCUSSION: This finding highlights the risk of silent circulation of P. vivax in areas previously assumed to be malaria-free and raises concerns regarding the timing of the certification. This is the first molecularly confirmed submicroscopic infection of P. vivax reported prior to malaria-free certification in Argentina and the Southern Cone region.

conclusionsCurrently, there is no active epidemiological or entomological surveillance in the area where the case was recorded. It is imperative to strengthen the surveillance system to maintain the country's malaria-free status within the national health system agenda and address the risks of silent malaria circulation and re-emergence. Furthermore, to comply with the national malaria program guidelines and WHO requirements to maintain malaria-free certification, the development and implementation of highly sensitive diagnostic tools to detect asymptomatic cases is crucial.

Indexed as

Asymptomatic InfectionsMalaria, VivaxPlasmodium vivaxAgedArgentinaHumansMaleArgentinaAsymptomatic malariaParasitePrevention of re-introductionSilent circulation

Identifiers

PMID41721394
PMCPMC13032304

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.