Merozoite vaccination of rhesus monkeys against plasmodium knowlesi malaria; immunity to sporozoite (mosquito-transmitted) challenge

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Abstract
Five normal rhesus monkeys were infected with Plasmodium knowlesi sporozoites (A-strain); two developed rapidly fatal malaria and three chrinic relapsing infections. Vaccination with P. knowlesi (W-strain) merozoites (unmodified or formol-treated and freeze-dried) in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) did not inhibit pre-erythrocytic parasite development after challenge with A-strain sporozoites. However, the subsequent blood-stage infection was terminated in nine out of ten vaccinated monkeys even though the challenge strain was different form that used for vaccination. The degree of parasitaemia (0·01–0·70 %) and brevity of infection (1–12 days) in six animals vaccinated with untreated merzoites was similar to that observed after direct challenge with blood-stage parasites. Monkeys were equally resistant to sporozoite challenge given as the post-vaccination infection or administered 6 months after blood challenge. These results are discussed in relation to the development of a human malaria vaccine.