Adaptation of Plasmodium vivax to growth in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymai).

The purpose of this study was reactivation and adaptation of a strain of Plasmodium vivax to Aotus nancymai monkeys. A need arose for malarial parasites for use in serologic and molecular studies and for teaching slides. This particular strain of parasite had been characterized previously as producing high-density parasitemia in splenectomized New World monkeys and therefore represented a good candidate for reactivation.