Plasmodium vivax -- challenging the dogma of being 'benign'

Plasmodium. vivax can cause severe malaria associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, show two studies published in PLoS Medicine this week. These findings challenge the current dogma that P. falciparum can be severe and life-threatening whereas P. vivax tends to be mild, according to the related commentary by Stephen Rogerson (University of Melbourne, Australia), an expert not connected with these studies.