Hidden Biomass of Intact Malaria Parasites in the Human Spleen

Intraerythrocytic malaria parasites are assumed to have predominantly intravascular tropism, with the spleen considered to be principally a site for parasite destruction, as is evident after antimalarial treatment. We hypothesized a more complex role for the spleen in human malaria and explored the possibility that viable, plasmodium-infected red cells accumulate in this organ. Kho, Qotrunnada et al. 2021