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Drug-resistant malaria confirmed in Africa
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IANS | 25 Sep, 2021
Scientists have confirmed the presence of malaria parasites in Africa
that can weaken the anti-malarial drug's ability to quickly treat people
with the disease.
Plasmodium falciparum has developed resistance
to derivatives of artemisinin -- the main component of first-line
treatments for malaria, revealed the study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine.
The resistance in Africa arose independently
of the resistant parasite strains seen in southeast Asia. This means
the strains now in Africa can become a 'super resistant' parasite.
"The
independent emergence and local spread of clinically
artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum has been identified in Africa. The
two kelch13 mutations may be markers for detection of these resistant
parasites," the scientists wrote in the paper.
The study,
conducted in Uganda from 2017 to 2019, focussed on 240 people with
malaria who were given intravenous artesunate -- a potent derivative of
artemisinin -- three times over the course of a day, followed by a
standard three-day course of ACT pills. Typically artemisinins are
administered without partner drugs to people only when they have severe
malaria.
Of the 240, 14 participants took longer than 5 hours to
clear half of the malaria-causing parasites (P.falciparum), -- meeting
the World Health Organization (WHO) definition for resistance. People
with malaria usually clear half the parasites within a couple hours of
treatment with artesunate.
Parasites in 13 of these participants
had one of two concerning mutations in their kelch13 gene, which has
been linked with antimalarial resistance in southeast Asia, the study
showed.
If the resistance continues to spread, the results could be devastating, the study warned.
Meanwhile, China has in June this year, officially been certified free of the mosquito-borne deadly disease by the WHO.
Drugs
based on Artemisinin, which was developed in China together with other
large prevention and control measures, helped China bring the incidence
of malaria from 30 million cases a year in the 1940s to 30,000 a year in
the late 1990s, the South China Morning Post reported.
Further, a
surveillance and response strategy -- known as the 1-3-7 approach --
which requires reported malaria cases to be confirmed within one day,
investigated by a local public health facility within three days and
authorities to have control measures in place to prevent further
transmission within seven days was imposed across the country, the
report said.
As a result, China has not reported any local transmission since 2017, it added.
While
the health care system and basic infrastructure are different in
Africa, adapting the strategies can still help the continent with more
than 90 per cent of malaria cases and deaths worldwide.
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