Seasonality and transmissibility of Plasmodium ovale in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania.

Plasmodium ovale is circulating at 4-15% prevalence among asymptomatic individuals in coastal Tanzania, largely invisible to field diagnostics. A different seasonal peak from co-endemic P. falciparum, the capacity to relapse, and efficient transmission to Anopheles vectors likely contribute to its persistence amid control efforts focused on P. falciparum.