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| SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY |
Malaria drugs' complete failure tracked
BBC News | 4 November 2016
Scientists have developed a way to track the spread of a dangerous form of malaria that cannot be treated with the main therapy.
Doctors in Cambodia reported the complete failure of artemisinin and piperaquine - the key drugs taken to kill malaria - this year.
The discovery of resistance markers, reported in the Lancet, will allow scientists to track the threat.
Experts said the study was a big step forward.
Artemisinin resistance has been known about for years, but a recent rise in resistance to piperaquine as well means the main malaria treatment, taking both together, is starting to fail.
International groups of researchers analysed the DNA from hundreds of malaria parasites to find out how they learned to shrug off piperaquine.
They uncovered genetic signatures unique to the parasites that were drug-resistant.
"The problem with complete failure is this might accelerate the spread of drug-resistance to other countries and ultimately to Africa."
Resistance to the drugs would be catastrophic in Africa, where 88% of all malaria cases happen.
Get ahead
Dr Amato added: "The good news is we're starting to get clues on which treatment to use."
Curiously, these resistant parasites appear to still be susceptible to an older drug - mefloquine.
One theory is that the malaria parasites cannot resist both mefloquine and piperaquine, so doctors may be able to rotate which drugs are used.
And for Dr Amato, the long-term aim is to be able to keep one step ahead of the parasite.
He said: "They evolve every single day to escape the human immune system and the insect immune system - they're extremely good at it - and we need to understand that.
"Understanding how and in which direction is crucial, if we understand the process from most basic level then we could at some point predict the direction it is going to evolve."
Prof David Conway, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "These studies are a big step forward in our understanding.
"This evolving parasite resistance is a major threat for malaria control internationally."
How applicable in the political arena -!-!-
ReplyDeleteOne political candidate seem to be immune and resilience against all corruption charges from the FBI, CIA..so forth... When she is appointed, America will succumb to many deadly diseases. At least 10 people have succumbed to their deaths just for open their mouths to speak against such contagious virus of a woman. Yes, she has been found to be immune from the highest law of the land so far.
But out of ear-shot from the hearing of common people she feared that if Donald Duck wins, she would be in jail or have a noose around her neck for acts of treason. Treason...what is that? Go ask Bill, what "is" is or was it : "I did not have "is" with that woman?
Politic and Super bugs are twins, the more people try to find solution the worst they seem to get. Millions tons of bombs are dropped countless lives are lost yet a new strain arises from the ashes of the bombs. Look at Arab Spring so called---now they are going after Assad if it were to say; if we can get rid of him Arab Spring would become Summer Joy. Yes, they shot Gaddafi with their new vaccine and look what became of Libya---super ISIS.
Either the good (?) doctors are lying to us or that they haven't landed the combination of drugs that would do the job. If voting changes things the politicians would banned voting. Therefore Presidents are selected and appointed by the colleges of the globalists who runs this world with impunity and patience continue to suffer malady of oppression and injustice from the doctors who knows what's best for us all. Now I must say, Trump could be someone who is really fed up with the elite who run this world and want to stop the tides drowning the common working poor like I and others.
Next patient please!