Endemic Burkitt lymphoma – an aggressive childhood cancer linked to Plasmodium falciparum exposure, but not to exposure to other malaria parasites

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive non‐Hodgkin lymphoma. The prevalence of BL is ten‐fold higher in areas with stable transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, where it is the most common childhood cancer, and is referred to as endemic BL (eBL). In addition to its association with exposure to P. falciparum infection, eBL is strongly associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection (>90%). This is in contrast to BL as it occurs...