Clinically Immune Hosts as a Refuge for Drug-Sensitive Malaria Parasites

The Question

How does immunity affect malaria transmission and the development of antimalarial drug resistance?

What we found

Resistant parasites have a lower fitness than drug-sensitive parasites in clinically immune hosts.

Why it matters

Resistance is more likely to develop in low-transmission settings, as fewer hosts develop immunity to malaria parasites in these areas. Malaria control policies should consider immunity, particularly in lower-transmission areas.

Code

The code for the models can be found freely available at: Github