Malaria parasite spreads from howler monkeys to humans

Researchers identify Plasmodium simium in Atlantic Forest area of Rio de Janeiro state, raising concerns for eradication of disease in Brazil and beyond

A form of malaria parasite that has spread from howler monkeys to humans in Brazil has been identified by researchers, raising concerns for eradication of the disease in Brazil and beyond.

Malaria was thought to have been eradicated from southern and south-eastern Brazil 50 years ago, but more than 1,000 cases reported since 2006 from the Atlantic Forest region, in Rio de Janeiro state, including two outbreaks in 2015 and 2016, led researchers to investigate.