We observed a clear bimodal distribution in antibody levels against histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) with half of the children having ‘high-HRP2’ vs ‘low-HRP2’ IgG levels, possibly a reflection of recent malaria history since it has been suggested that HRP2-specific antibodies are short-lived and could serve as a surrogate for a recent infection (Turnbull et al., 2022). This evidence concerns the gene HDGFL2 and infection.