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INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Malaria parasites hide in plain sight in the dry season

Plasmodium falciparum parasites survive the dry season by accepting increased clearance rates through the host spleen, which leads to a persistent lower-level infection.

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Fig. 1: P. falciparum parasites can be partially cleared from circulation by the spleen.

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Correspondence to Philip Bejon.

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Bejon, P. Malaria parasites hide in plain sight in the dry season. Nat Med 26, 1816–1818 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-01171-y

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