Read this issue and previous issues online;
full media coverage of the First World Malaria Day and RBM Zambezi Expedition
5.05.2008
Malaria and rabies are worse than AIDS [The Herald - UK] — (English)
Aids kills someone on this planet every five minutes, according to Unicef (and contrary to the gay lobby's claim of every minute). That ghastly accolade belongs to rabies, and even it is no competition for malaria's mortality rate of one every 30 seconds, and which all the insecticides and mosquito nets in the world have failed to halt...
Weekly TB/Malaria Report [GlobalHealthReporting.org] — (English)
The report provides summaries of TB, malaria and global health news with links to original articles and related resources...
Die Geißel der Armen [Suedwest Aktiv - Germany ] — (Deutsch)
Netze schützen Menschen vor Moskitos - und somit vor Malaria. Doch für diese Sicherheitsvorkehrung fehlt in vielen Regionen das Geld...
Enzym als Schwachpunkt der Malariaparasiten [Pressetext - Germany] — (Deutsch)
Entdeckung von HDP macht Hoffnung auf neue Medikamente...
Impact of community-based presumptive chloroquine treatment of fever cases on malaria morbidity and mortality in a tribal area in Orissa State, India [Malaria Journal 2008, 7:75 (5 May 2008)] — (English)
A study which demonstrates that a chloroquine distribution system, operated by village volunteers in tribal areas is feasible and can still be effective in reducing malaria-related morbidity and mortality...
Nigeria: 'We'll Win the Battle Against Malaria' [This Day (Lagos) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
Dr Kabir Ibrahim, Project Manager, World Bank assisted Malaria Control and Booster Project (MCBP), in Jigawa State, has said the state government, in collaboration with national and international agencies, is determined to win the battle against malaria in the next two years...
4.05.2008
Rwandan Official Denies Malaria Drug Shortage [RedOrbit - Dallas,TX,USA] — (English)
Text of report in English by George Kagame entitled "No malaria drug shortage - PNLIP" published by Rwandan newspaper The New Times website on 3 May ...
Fighting malaria proves tough [IPP Media - Guardian - Dar es Salaam,United Republic of Tanzania] — (English)
A Form V student was attacked by a serious bout of malaria three years ago. He uttered certain unintelligible words that sent shockwaves to his parents who quickly believed that their son was bewitched. Neighbours too were alarmed...
China donates anti-malaria medicine [New Vision - Uganda] — (English)
CHINA has donated anti-malarial drugs worth $400,000 (about sh714m) to the health ministry...
3.05.2008
Malaria Vaccine Pioneer, Katherine L. O'Brien, Awarded The Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal In Vaccinology [Medical News Today (press release) - UK] — (English)
Malaria is a disease that threatens more than 40 percent of the world's population, and kills a child every thirty seconds," said Dr. Hotez. "Dr. Nussenzweig's discoveries have paved the way for prevention, and her contributions are certain to change the face of global healt...
5-Year-Old Leads Fundraising Effort To Fight Malaria [Hartford Courant - United States] — (English)
ALEXANDER KARADIMAS, 5, a kindergarten student at The Master's School in Simsbury, started a fundraiser at the school to provide malaria tests for children in Tanzania...
SKorea to give Nkorea one million dollars to fight malaria [AFP] — (English)
South Korea will this year provide North Korea with supplies worth 1.18 million dollars to help prevent malaria, the unification ministry said Friday...
Malaria – the black man’s burden, or the test of his mettle? [The Nation - Nigeria] — (English)
There is a disease which has over the years proved to be the scourge of the black man in his homeland – Africa...
Zimbabwe: What You Should Know About Malaria [The Herald (Harare) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
In the words of Samuelson, R.J., a learned South African judge in the apartheid era, the Third World (a.k.a. developing countries) "has been shattered forever, a casualty of the end of the Cold War...
Mali: Combating Malaria Misdiagnosis [IRIN via allAfrica.com] — (English)
Health experts say the majority of malaria cases in Mali are misdiagnosed, which causes resistance to malaria drugs and leaves other illnesses untreated...
Dearths From Malaria Fall By 40 percent [The Citizen (Dar es Salaam) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
Deaths caused by malaria in Singida district have decreased significantly, the District Council's malaria control coordinator has said...
Deaths caused by malaria in Singida district have decreased significantly, the District Council's malaria control coordinator has said [Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
An African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), a network of African journalists, and scientists working together to eradicate malaria in Africa, has made giant moves to pursue its goals, of achieving malaria-free communities in the region...
Many North Cot towns endemic to malaria [Minda News - Davao City,Philippines] — (English)
Some 117 villages in North Cotabato have been classified as endemic to malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, records from the Department of Health (DOH) show...
Malaria claims 22 lives in Tripura [Thaindian.com - Bangkok,Bangkok,Thailand] — (English)
Malaria continues to take a heavy toll in Tripura with reports of at least 30 tribals falling prey to high fever and 22 of them succumbing to the vector spread disease...
Chhattisgarh battling with malaria drug shortage [NDTV.com - New Delhi,India] — (English)
It's an invisible epidemic. Malaria affects over two million people every year, killing thousands and leaving many more sick and weak...
View Point: Tackling malaria [Central Chronicle - India] — (English)
Malaria, a disease without borders, is preventable and treatable however it needs a bolder commitment from donors and member states if it is to be brought under control...
2.05.2008
Russian Grants 7 Million U.S. Dollars to Zambia [Red Orbit - USA] — (English)
Zambia and Russia signed an agreement here Wednesday under which Russia grants Zambia 7 million U.S. dollars to help it fight malaria, Times of Zambia reported Thursday...
Fight Malaria, Methodists Urged [TheLedger.com - USA] — (English)
William H. Gates Sr., father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, addressed the church's General Conference on Thursday, reaffirming a pledge made last week to support the church's Global Health Initiative...
Malaria Statistics in Leon County [WCTV - Tallahassee,FL,USA] — (English)
Malaria is a very rare disease in the United States, but health officials say it does happen. The Leon County Health Department says the majority of Malaria cases are brought in by travelers who go out of the country...
Hadfield Builds Web Site To Fight Malaria [Harvard Crimson] — (English)
Senior known for ESPN web deal builds site to connect donors and malaria researchers...
Northern Health Services declare war on mosquitoes [] — (English)
The Ghana Health Service is to institute a mechanism, known as Indoor Residual Spraying, in the Northern Region, to get rid of female anopheles mosquitoes, which are the main cause of malaria...
Josie Russell to help malaria victims in Africa [Daily Post - UK] — (English)
THE young North Wales woman who survived a hammer attack which killed her mother and sister is helping to kit out an African hospital with vital equipment...
101 Ways To Fight Malaria [PR Log - USA] — (English)
In honor of world malaria day, the makers of Save My Soul - Music to Prevent Malaria http://www.savemysoulcd.com has created a list of 101 ways to help fight malaria...
UPC chairman protests DDT use [UG Ppulse - Uganda] — (English)
The Uganda Peoples Congress Chairperson for Lira district Dan Okello has protested the government’s continued use of DDT to control malaria because it is harmful to the environment...
China donates over 700million for malaria treatment [UG Ppulse - Uganda] — (English)
The government of China has donated malaria drugs worth 714million shillings so as to strengthen treatment of the disease...
L'ONU veut éradiquer le paludisme en Afrique d'ici à fin 2010 [Le Courrier - Viet Nam] — (Français)
Le secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, a lancé la semaine dernière un plan ambitieux visant à mettre fin à l'hécatombe causée par le fléau sur le continent...
VFA: Malaria-Impfstoff ist 2012 möglich [journal MED - Germany] — (Deutsch)
"Bis 2012 könnte es endlich einen Malaria-Impfstoff geben. Denn forschende Pharmafirmen haben ihr Engagement verstärkt, um die Malaria weltweit zurückzudrängen. Sie haben dafür Programme zur Medikamentenversorgung, zur Information der Bevölkerung in Entwicklungsländern und für neue Medikamente aufgelegt." Das erklärte Cornelia Yzer, Hauptgeschäftsführerin des Verbands Forschender Arzneimittelhersteller (VFA)...
Fasudil may aid emergency malaria treatment [CLP - USA] — (English)
In in vitro studies, adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum to endothelial cells activates the Rho kinase pathway. Disruption of this process by the Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil could turn out to be a useful adjunctive therapy for severe malaria, according to French researchers...
1.05.2008
A drive to cut drug costs for malaria meets resistance [Financial Times - UK] — (English)
Down a narrow alley in Lagos's bustling Idumota market, a pharmacy is selling bright yellow-and-white packets of Coartem, one of the world's most effective malaria treatments, over the counter. In the developed world, public health specialists worry about the dangers of such a potent drug being distributed without prescription. But in Africa, many are more concerned by another problem that limits its use: the price, which rises along with its scarcity in the most diseaseafflicted rural areas...
Government and Corporate Support Together Help Africans Battling Malaria, AIDS [Reuters AlertNet - London,England,UK] — (English)
A volunteer nurse from Zambia and executives from the healthcare company McKesson Corp. spoke with lawmakers in Washington to emphasize the importance of joint efforts in the fight against malaria and AIDS, at meetings organized by the international humanitarian agency World Vision in recognition of World Malaria Day...
Naturally Acquired Human Plasmodium knowlesi Infection, Singapore [Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 May;14(5):814-6] — (English)
We report a case of naturally acquired Plasmodium knowlesi in Singapore, a malaria-free country. Diagnosis was confirmed by PCR with validated species-specific primers. In industrialized countries, free-ranging primates are a potential source of P. knowlesi human infection. P. knowlesi infection is a differential diagnosis of febrile illness acquired in Singapore...
Declining Artesunate-Mefloquine Efficacy against Falciparum Malaria on the Cambodia–Thailand Border [Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 May;14(5):716-9] — (English)
Resistance to many antimalaria drugs developed on the Cambodia–Thailand border long before developing elsewhere. Because antimalaria resistance is now a global problem, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the first-line therapies in most malaria-endemic countries. However, recent clinical and molecular studies suggest the emergence of ACT-resistant Plasmodium falciparum infections in the Cambodia–Thailand border area, where standard ACT is artesunate and mefloquine. These ACT failures might be caused by high-level mefloquine resistance because mefloquine was used for monotherapy long before the introduction of ACT. This observation raises 2 questions. First, how can existing P. falciparum–resistant strains be controlled? Second, how can the evolution of new ACT- resistant strains be avoided elsewhere, e.g., in Africa? Enforcement of rational drug use and improved diagnostic capacity are among the measures needed to avoid and contain ACT resistance...
Clinic Raises Funds for Chip Away Malaria [Central Michigan University Chippewas - Mount Pleasant,MI,USA] — (English)
The Central Michigan University football team united with students in the CMU Sport Studies program to raise nearly $2,500 through the Tackling Malaria: One Youth at a Time football clinic last weekend...
Alert on spreading malaria in SKorea [AFP] — (English)
Malaria is spreading rapidly from North Korea and beginning to take root in South Korea, a Seoul research team warned Tuesday...
Public Health Experts, NGOs See Progress Against Malaria [Turkish Weekly - Turkey] — (English)
A Canadian group called Spread the Net has launched an Internet campaign in conjunction with the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF. A promotional video uses rap music to spread the message...
Real Answers to the World’s Biggest Questions [Star-Telegram - USA] — (English)
As far as security details go, mine is pretty unflappable. They are seldom fazed by unruly crowds or post-conflict hot spots. But traveling in East Africa one day last year, I stepped into a swarm of mosquitoes. From the expressions on their faces, I realized that close protection was no match for this unarmed threat the size of a speck...
Humanitarian Greg Mortenson and Economist Jeffrey Sachs Chat with Howard Schiffer [Santa Barbara - USA] — (English)
Real Answers to the World’s Biggest Questions...
PC-1 for malaria control okayed [The News - International - Pakistan] — (English)
The Rollback Malaria PC-1 worth Rs658 million, along with a Rs370 million PC-1 for uninterrupted supply of TB drugs, were approved at the CDWP meeting held here on Wednesday. The meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of the Planning Commission deputy chairman, was attended by all provincial additional chief secretaries and representatives of finance and EAD departmen...
30.04.2008
Correlation of Memory T Cell Responses against TRAP with Protection from Clinical Malaria, and CD4+ CD25high T Cells with Susceptibility in Kenyans [PLoS ONE. 2008 Apr 30;3(4):e2027] — (English)
These data demonstrate a role for central memory T cells in natural malarial immunity and support current vaccination strategies aimed at inducing durable protective T cell responses against the TRAP antigen. They also suggest that CD4+ CD25high T cells may negatively affect naturally acquired malarial immunity...
Ipca anti-malarial formulations pre-qualified by WHO [Silo Breaker - USA] — (English)
India's largest producer of anti-malarial formulation Ipca Laboratories has been prequalified by World Health Organisation...
NYSE Euronext Engages in Fight Against Three of the Biggest Threats [NYSE] — (English)
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced today that NYSE Euronext, the world’s largest exchange group and a world leader for listings, cash equity trading, derivatives and the distribution of international market data, has joined the Coalition and its fight against the world’s most lethal epidemics...
Químico de pesticida estaría vinculado al cáncer testicular [Medline Plus - USA] — (Español)
Un químico que proviene del pesticida DDT aumentaría el riesgo masculino de desarrollar cáncer de testículos, informaron investigadores estadounidenses...
US Aids bill to benefit malaria efforts [IOL - South Africa] — (English)
New funding and provisions included in a US bill to reauthorise the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief would significantly benefit efforts to fight malaria worldwide, experts said last week at a forum in Washington, DC, CQ HealthBeat reports...
Public Health Experts, NGOs See Progress Against Malaria [VoA - USA] — (English)
Each year, malaria takes the lives of more than one million people in sub-Saharan Africa, many of them children. The disease is caused by a parasite spread by mosquitoes, and such simple protections as mosquito nets on beds can dramatically reduce the rate of infection. Mike O'Sullivan reports, health workers and members of non-government organizations who spoke in Los Angeles see progress and challenges in the fight against the disease...
These Dreams Aren’t ‘Idol’: All Abuzz about DDT [New University- USA] — (English)
If you are an “American Idol” fan, then you are probably familiar with the show’s philanthropic special “Idol Gives Back.” For the past year, the show has called in celebrities to show up and tell you to donate money...
Malaria top killer in Congo [PhysOrg.com - USA] — (English)
Yacouba Zina, head of the malaria project of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said 5 million cases of malaria are reported annually, resulting in 500,000 to 1 million people deaths, the United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Networks reported Tuesday...
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Climate change challenge to combat malaria [IRIN] — (English)
Malaria remains a major killer in Papua New Guinea, with 700 deaths from the disease in 2007, although the World Health Organization (WHO) says the number is higher as many cases in remote areas go unrecorded...
Controlling malaria is the responsibility of all - Hinneh [Ghana Review - Ghana] — (English)
Mr. Richard Kwasi Hinneh, Nkoranza District Director of Health Service on Monday said controlling malaria was the collective responsibility of the entire society...
Uganda: Breakthrough Reported in Malaria Drug Trial [The Monitor (Kampala) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
Canadian scientists working with Ugandans at Makerere University have reported that their novel drug candidates to treat malaria have demonstrated good safety in their first toxicity tests in animals...
Ghana: Total Ghana Ltd. Declares War On Malaria [Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
Total Petroleum Ghana Limited, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has launched a series of activities to create public awareness about malaria prevention...
29.04.2008
World Malaria Day Highlights Disease's Impact [VoA - USA] — (English)
The United Nations observes World Malaria Day April 25th in support of international efforts to eliminate the disease. Organizations involved in that battle say the tide is turning in their favor. VOA's Nuch Sarita narrates the story in Khmer...
REACHING THE POOR WITH HEALTH SERVICES Tanzania [World Bank] — (English)
Social Marketing for Malaria Prevention — Increasing Insecticide Treated Net Coverage...
HDP-a novel heme detoxification protein from the malaria parasite [PLOS Pathogens] — (English)
When malaria parasites infect host red blood cells (RBC) and proteolyze hemoglobin, a unique, albeit poorly understood parasite-specific mechanism, detoxifies released heme into hemozoin (Hz). Here, we report the identification and characterization of a novel Plasmodium Heme Detoxification Protein (HDP) that is extremely potent in converting heme into Hz. HDP is functionally conserved across Plasmodium genus and its gene locus could not be disrupted. Once expressed, the parasite utilizes a circuitous “Outbound–Inbound” trafficking route by initially secreting HDP into the cytosol of infected RBC. A subsequent endocytosis of host cytosol (and hemoglobin) delivers HDP to the food vacuole (FV), the site of Hz formation. As Hz formation is critical for survival, involvement of HDP in this process suggests that it could be a malaria drug target...
Genetic determination and linkage mapping of Plasmodium falciparum malaria related traits in Senegal [PLoS ONE. 2008 Apr 23;3(4):e2000] — (English)
While regions of linkage show little overlap with genes known to be involved in severe malaria, the four regions appear to overlap with regions linked to asthma or atopy related traits, suggesting that common immune related pathways may be involved...
Default Pathway of var2csa switching and translational repression in Plasmodium falciparum [PLoS ONE. 2008 Apr 23;3(4):e1982] — (English)
Here we show var-genes to switch to a common gene that is highly transcribed, but sparsely translated into PfEMP1 and not expressed at the erythrocyte surface. Highly clonal and adhesive P. falciparum, which expressed distinct var-genes and the corresponding PfEMP1s at onset, were propagated without enrichment or panning. The parasites successively and spontaneously switched to transcribe a shared var-gene (var2csa) matched by the loss of PfEMP1 surface expression and host cell-binding. The var2csa gene repositioned in the peri-nuclear area upon activation, away from the telomeric clusters and heterochromatin to transcribe spliced, full-length RNA. Despite abundant transcripts, the level of intracellular PfEMP1 was low suggesting post-transcriptional mechanisms to partake in protein expression. In vivo, off-switching and translational repression may constitute one pathway, among others, coordinating PfEMP1 expression...
Chemoprophylaxis and intermittent treatment for preventing malaria in children [Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Apr 16;(2):CD003756] — (English)
Twenty-one trials (19,394 participants), including six cluster-randomized trials, met the inclusion criteria. Prophylaxis or intermittent treatment with antimalarial drugs resulted in fewer clinical malaria episodes (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.74, REM; 7037 participants, 10 trials), less severe anaemia (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.94, REM; 5445 participants, 9 trials), and fewer hospital admissions for any cause (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.82; 3722 participants, 5 trials). We did not detect a difference in the number of deaths from any cause (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.23; 7369 participants, 10 trials), but the CI do not exclude a potentially important difference. One trial reported three serious adverse events with no statistically significant difference between study groups (1070 participants). Eight trials measured morbidity and mortality six months to two years after stopping regular antimalarial drugs; overall, there was no statistically significant difference, but participant numbers were small...
Child health strategy encourages use of bed nets to combat malaria in Niger [UNICEF] — (English)
Every night, Aliya Saadou, 26, makes sure that her three young children, including one-month-old Bassira, sleep under the safety of a bed net. Once treated with insecticides, a mosquito net is the best protection against malaria, which is endemic in Aliya’s village of Safo Tchikadji, located just 15 km south of Maradi, Niger’s second biggest city...
DRC: Malaria still biggest killer [IRIN] — (English)
Exaucée Makembi, aged three, has been very weak for three days and sleeps in the arms of her mother, Tina Nzongola, who has taken her to a health centre on the outskirts of Kinshasa...
THAILAND: Winning malaria battle but challenges remain [IRIN] — (English)
Thailand is widely recognised as a leader in the global struggle against malaria, announcing in 2005 a 50 percent drop in morbidity and mortality rates from 1998 figures, five years ahead of schedule...
INDONESIA: Renewed drive to eliminate malaria [IRIN] — (English)
Indonesia, where close to 100 million people live in areas susceptible to malaria, has embarked on a drive to eliminate the disease by 2030...
UNIVERSITY IN DIAGNOSIS BREAKTHROUGH [This is Exeter.co.uk - UK] — (English)
Researchers at Exeter University have helped to develop a new technique for diagnosing malaria...
Le paludisme fait toujours un grand nombre de victime [STENDENCE - France] — (Français)
Le paludisme, appelé aussi malaria, est une parasitose due à un protozoaire transmis par la piqûre d’un moustique femelle, l’anophèle, provoquant des fièvres intermittentes...
Nouvelle édition de l'ouvrage de la FIIM "Partnerships to Build Healthier Societies in the Developing World" [Les enterprises du médicament - France] — (Français)
L'accès au soins dans les PVD et la R&D concernant les maladies tropicales - Edition 2008...
Distribution of knock-down resistance mutations in Anopheles gambiae molecular forms in west and west-central Africa [Malaria Journal 2008, 7:74 (29 April 2008)] — (English)
The paper gives a clear picture of the geographic extent of the kdr mutations in Anopheles gambiae S-form and M-form populations from 11 countries in west and west-central Africa...
Cost-effectiveness analysis of insecticide-treated net distribution as part of the Togo Integrated Child Health Campaign [Malaria Journal 2008, 7:73 (29 April 2008)] — (English)
A well-designed study that demonstrates thoroughly the economic attractiveness of the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets as a malaria control intervention...
Multiple origins of resistance-conferring mutations in Plasmodium vivax dihydrofolate reductase [Malaria Journal 2008, 7:72 (28 April 2008)] — (English)
The paper examines the origin and spread of pyrimethamine resistance in P. vivax populations by analysing multiple P. vivax isolates from mainly Asia in the gene Pvdhfr. The evolution of resistance in this species is most likely quite different from P. falciparum...
Determination of nitric oxide metabolites, nitrate and nitrite, in Anopheles culicifacies mosquito midgut and haemolymph by anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography: plausible mechanism of refractoriness [Malaria Journal 2008, 7:71 (28 April 2008)] — (English)
The authors developed an HPLC-based method to detect NO metabolites and were able to quantitate nitrate and nitrite levels in haemolymph and midgut. They observed that the levels of these metabolites differ between strains An. culicifacies mosquitoes that are either susceptible or refractory to P. vivax infection...
African Scientists Close to Malaria Vaccine [EthiopianNews - Ethiopia] — (English)
African research scientists are close to discovering "a safe and effective malaria vaccine," local newspaper called This Day reported quoting a WHO consultant in Accra...
DDT-related chemical linked to testicular cancer [Cancer.net - USA] — (English)
A chemical that comes from the pesticide DDT may raise a man's risk of developing testicular cancer, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday...
My Point of View- Neo-colonialist NGOs [Malawi Daily - Malawi] — (English)
For years, countries from India to South Africa successfully controlled malaria by spraying the insides of houses with DDT. Environmentalists and NGOs played up scientifically unsound scare stories from the USA to demonise the pesticide and pushed for a ban: the WHO stopped recommending it in the 1990s, malaria soared globally and millions died. Recently, South Africa reintroduced DDT spraying and cases plummeted but few other countries have dared upset their NGO advisors...
Climate changes lead to high proliferation of malaria in Yemen [Yemen Times - Yemen] — (English)
Malaria is one of Yemen’s most serious health problems, according to the World Heath Organization, which estimates between 800,000 and 900,000 malaria cases in Yemen...
Over half the population at risk of malaria - Health Ministry [E-Ariana - Afghanistan] — (English)
Over half of Afghanistan's estimated 26.6 million population – and especially pregnant women and children - are vulnerable to malaria, according to Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)...
Faster way to detect malaria [The Press Association] — (English)
Faster and cheaper diagnosis of malaria could be carried out with a new technique developed by UK scientists...
CAMBODIA: Malaria on the decline due to concerted awareness efforts [IRIN] — (English)
"Please sleep under the insecticide-treated nets," runs the message on a large banner erected for Malaria Day on 25 April. In Cambodia, that message is sinking in...
Journée internationale contre le paludisme : Mille jours pour éradiquer le paludisme [Auhourd'hui - Morocco] — (English)
L'ONU donne au monde 1.000 jours pour éradiquer le paludisme en Afrique. La maladie représente une menace pour près de 40% de la population mondiale...
Malaria’s tropical fiction [Citizen.co.za - South Africa] — (English)
In Shakespeare’s time, a silent killer decimated the population of Europe. In that age of extreme cold when the Thames used to freeze over, this disease menaced everyone. It was mentioned eight times in Shakespeare’s plays. Then they called it “the ague”. Now we call it “malaria”...
Le paludisme reste une des principales causes de mortalité [Jeune Afrique - France] — (Français)
Agée de trois ans, Exaucée Makembi est très faible depuis trois jours. Elle dort dans les bras de Tina Nzongola, sa mère, qui l’a conduite dans un centre de santé de la banlieue de Kinshasa. La petite fille souffre de paludisme. Le médecin a prescrit un traitement soluble à base d’artésunate qui coûte environ cinq dollars, mais Mme Nzongola se plaint de ne pas avoir les moyens de se l’acheter. À côté d’elle, dans des lits, d’autres patients, jeunes et vieux, sont traités à la quinine et aux antibiotiques parce que leurs cas sont plus graves, selon l’infirmière...
THE AIDS INSTITUTE RECOGNIZES WORLD MALARIA DAY [Out in America - USA] — (English)
April 25, 2008 is World Malaria Day – a day to commemorate the global effort to provide effective control of Malaria around the world. It isan opportunity for those of us who live in "malaria-free" countries to learn about the devastating consequences of the disease. It is an occasion to encourage donors to join a global partnership in the fight to eradicate this scourge...
Malawi: Fighting back against malaria [ReliefWeb - UK] — (English)
Four-year-old Griverson sits outside his grandparents’ mud-brick house, scuffing the dirt with his bare feet. He’s wearing a dirty pair of Stars & Stripes shorts and, like many of his little friends in this isolated village in rural Malawi, his nose is running and smeared across his face...
Cameroon: Professor Umberto D'Alessandro - 'ACT Combination Has No Resistance' [Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)] — (English)
Interview with Professor Umberto D'Alessandro of the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium...
Professor Umberto D'Alessandro of the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium [The Voice (Francistown) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
Population Services International (PSI) has launched insecticide treated mosquito nets in their effort to help government prevent the spread of Malaria...
Africa: World Must Go Beyond Palliatives in Malaria Fight [The Citizen (Dar es Salaam) via allAfrica.com] — (English)
April 25 has this year been declared World Malaria Day. Since 2001, April 25 has been observed as Africa Malaria Day, commemorating the signing of the historic Abuja Declaration by 44 African malaria-endemic countries at the African Malaria Summit held in 2000...
Ghana: MMFPA Out to Fight Malaria [Accra Mail (Accra)] — (English)
A group calling itself "Movement for Malaria Fight and Prevention Aid - Ghana (MMFPA)" has asked Ghanaians to help in the fight against malaria in the country...
New breakthrough in malaria detection [Times of India - India] — (English)
Believe it or not, doctors will soon be able to detect malaria in less than a minute, for researchers have developed a new technique that is much faster and cheaper than the rapid diagnostic tests...
Plastic RBC may help prevent malaria [Times of India - India] — (English)
An American scientist has created an artificial version of red blood cells that can deliver vital oxygen to body tissues, and take away unwanted carbon dioxide in the bloodstream in the same way as the original red blood cells do. The breakthrough attains significance as it may provide strategies to prevent deterioration of the condition of people with malaria and sickle cell disease, wherein red blood cells lose their ability to squeeze and pass through blood vessels as thin as three micrometers...
Articles requiring subscription
IL12B polymorphisms are linked but not associated with Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia: a familial study in Burkina Faso [Genes and Immunity advance online publication 1 May 2008] — (English)
We searched for IL12B polymorphisms in the coding regions and the corresponding intron–exon borders. We also examined IL12Bpro and IL12B 3'untranslated region (UTR) polymorphisms, which are thought to influence the production of IL-12. We showed a high level of conservation of IL12B-coding regions and identified five polymorphisms in introns and the two polymorphisms in the promoter and the 3'UTR regions. Although IL12B polymorphisms were linked to parasitemia, there was association of parasitemia with neither polymorphisms nor haplotypes. We cannot exclude that an unknown IL12B cis-regulatory element polymorphism affects both IL-12 production and parasitemia. However, our results suggest that genetic variation in IL12B does not explain differences in parasitemia in individuals living in an endemic area...
A verapamil-sensitive chloroquine-associated H+ leak from the digestive vacuole in chloroquine-resistant malaria parasites [JCS ePress online publication date 29 Apr 2008] — (English)
In this study we have investigated the leak of H+ from the digestive vacuole of the parasite by monitoring the alkalinisation of the vacuole following inhibition of the H+-pumping V-type ATPase by concanamycin A. The rates of alkalinisation observed in three chloroquine-resistant strains were two- to fourfold higher than those measured in three chloroquine-sensitive strains. On addition of chloroquine there was a dramatic increase in the rate of alkalinisation in the chloroquine-resistant strains, whereas chloroquine caused the rate of alkalinisation to decrease in the chloroquine-sensitive strains. The chloroquine-associated increase in the rate of alkalinisation seen in chloroquine-resistant parasites was inhibited by the chloroquine-resistance reversal agent verapamil. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that in chloroquine-resistant parasites chloroquine effluxes from the digestive vacuole, in association with H+, via a verapamil-sensitive pathway...
Drug Resistant Infections in Poor Countries [BMJ 2008;336:948-949 (26 April)] — (English)
Resistance to drugs in many common childhood infections is a growing problem in the developing world, says Zulfiqar Bhutta. Effective programmes to combat resistance are within reach in developing countries, argue Ralph Gonzales and colleagues (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39534.553044.94), but we must move swiftly...
District-based malaria epidemic early warning systems in East Africa: Perceptions of acceptability and usefulness among key staff at health facility, district and central levels [Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 29 April 2008] — (English)
To investigate the attitude of key staff towards the programme, and their perceptions of its impact on their working practices, interviews were carried out among 52 health staff at district level and in the Ministries of Health in Kenya and Uganda. The transfer of responsibility for the early detection of epidemics to the districts had resulted in perceptions of individual empowerment among district-based staff. This, together with improved support supervision, was a key factor in sustaining motivation and improved surveillance...
Apicoplast translation, transcription and genome replication: targets for antimalarial antibiotics [Trends in Parasitology, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 29 April 2008] — (English)
Recent data suggest that the target for multiple antimalarial antibiotics is the apicoplast, a chloroplast-like organelle of uncertain function. Translation inhibitors (such as tetracyclines, clindamycin and macrolides) and gyrase inhibitors (such as ciprofloxacin) cause modest antimalarial effects initially but are much more potent against the progeny of treated parasites. These progeny inherit nonfunctional apicoplasts, suggesting that blocking production of apicoplast proteins causes the ‘delayed-death effect’. Interestingly, the antibiotics thiostrepton and rifampin are fast acting and might target additional processes outside the apicoplast...
Le paludisme d’importation en Tunisie : bilan de 291 cas diagnostiqués à l’hôpital La Rabta de Tunis (1991-2006) [Revue Francophone des Laboratoires, Volume 2008, Issue 399, February 2008, Pages 95-98] — (Français)
L’étude de 291 cas de paludisme d’importation diagnostiqués sur une période de 15 ans (1991-2006), au laboratoire de parasitologie-mycologie de l’hôpital La Rabta de Tunis, nous a permis de dégager les caractéristiques de cette pathologie dans notre pays...
Intérêt du test Paracheck Pf® pour le diagnostic de paludisme à Plasmodium falciparum [Revue Francophone des Laboratoires, Volume 2008, Issue 399, February 2008, Pages 99-103] — (Français)
Le diagnostic du paludisme est réalisé par le frottis sanguin et la goutte épaisse par du personnel qualifié. Une étude a été réalisée sur le test Paracheck Pf®, en comparaison avec le test Now Malaria®, basé sur la détection de la protéine HRP-2 antigène spécifique de Plasmodiums falciparum...
Reimbursement of malaria chemoprophylaxis for travellers from Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa: Cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of the French health insurance system [Health Policy, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 28 April 2008] — (English)
This study aims to analyzes, from the FHS perspective, the cost-effectiveness of a 65% reimbursement of MC costs (MC 65%) for travellers to SSA, under the assumption that this reimbursement would lead to increased recourse to MC. For that purpose, a decision tree model was developed with variables obtained from the literature, including incidence of malaria among travellers in the absence of MC, probabilities of recourse to MC, MC effectiveness and costs and medical expenses for a case of imported malaria...
Experimental manipulation of immune-mediated disease and its fitness costs for rodent malaria parasites [BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008, 8:128] — (English)
This is the first experimental study to demonstrate that infection-induced immunopathology and parasite genetic variability may together have the potential to shape virulence evolution. In accord with recent theory, the data show that some forms of immunopathology may select for parasites that make hosts less sick...
Polymorphism at the Apical Membrane Antigen-1 locus Reflects the World Population History of Plasmodium vivax [BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008, 8:123doi] — (English)
These results show that genetic diversity in P. vivax ama-1 reflects population history, with population substructure characterizing long-established Old World populations, whereas Brazilian populations show evidence of loss of diversity and recent population expansion...
Various carrier system(s)- mediated genetic vaccination strategies against malaria [Expert Review of Vaccines, May 2008, Vol. 7, No. 4, Pages 499-520] — (English)
This review comprises various aspects that could be decisive in the formulation of efficient and stable carrier system(s) for the development of malaria vaccines...
High Risk of Neutropenia in HIV-Infected Children following Treatment with Artesunate plus Amodiaquine for Uncomplicated Malaria in Uganda [Clinical Infectious Diseases 2008;46:985–991] — (English)
Artesunate plus amodiaquine was highly efficacious for malaria treatment in HIV-infected children but was associated with a high risk of neutropenia, especially in the context of concurrent antiretroviral use. Our findings highlight an urgent need for evaluation of alternative antimalarial therapies for HIV-infected individuals...
HIV-1 protease inhibitors and clinical isolates of Plasmodium: Greater activity against P. vivax than P. falciparum [Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. doi:10.1128/AAC.00169-08] — (English)
Using clinical isolates, we now demonstrate the in vitro effectiveness of two HIV-1 aspartic protease inhibitors (PIs); saquinavir (SQV) and ritonavir (RTV) against P. vivax (n=30) and P. falciparum (n=20) from populations subjected to high levels of mefloquine and artesunate pressure on the Thai-Burmese border. The median IC50 values of P. vivax to RTV and SQV were 2233nM (range; 732-7738nM) and 4230nM (range; 1326-8452nM) respectively, both within the therapeutic concentration range commonly found in patients treated with these PIs...
Synergy of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Protease Inhibitors with Chloroquine against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro and Plasmodium chabaudi in vivo [Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. doi:10.1128/AAC.01329-07] — (English)
The synergy of the activities between chloroquine and various human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors was investigated in chloroquine-resistant and -sensitive malaria parasites. In both in vitro and in vivo assay systems, ritonavir was found to be the most potent in potentiating antimalarial action of chloroquine...
Changes in PSAC Reduce Leupeptin Uptake and Can Confer Drug Resistance in P. falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes [Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. doi:10.1128/AAC.00057-08] — (English)
Here, we used in vitro selection to generate a parasite resistant to growth inhibition by leupeptin, a broad profile cysteine and serine protease inhibitor. Resistance was not associated with upregulation of cysteine protease activity, reduced leupeptin sensitivity of this activity, or expression level changes for putative cysteine or serine proteases in the parasite genome. Instead, it was associated with marked changes in the plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC), an ion channel on infected erythrocytes that functions in nutrient and bulky organic solute uptake...
The avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum causes marked structural changes on the surface of its host erythrocyte [J Struct Biol. 2008 Mar 21] — (English)
These findings suggest that parasite-induced intraerythrocytic processes are involved in modifying the surface of host erythrocytes. These processes may be analogous to those of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum, which induces knob-like protrusions that mediate the pathogenic adherence of parasitized erythrocytes to microvessels. Although P. gallinaceum-infected erythrocytes do not seem to adhere to microvessels in the host chicken, the furrows might be involved in the pathogenesis of P. gallinaceum infections by some other mechanism involving host-pathogen interactions...
Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Tissue Inhibitors (TIMPs) in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria: Serum Levels of TIMP-1 Are Associated with Disease Severity [The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2008;197:000–000] — (English)
TIMP-1 is associated with signs and symptoms of severe malaria. MMP-8 levels are elevated in patients with severe or uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. MMPs and TIMPs may be relevant in the pathogenesis of severe malaria, either as proteolytic enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix or as effectors and regulators of the immune response...
Predicting functional residues in Plasmodium falciparum plasmepsins by combining sequence and structural analysis with molecular dynamics simulations [Proteins. 2008 Apr 28] — (English)
Plasmepsins are aspartic proteases involved in the initial steps of the hemoglobin degradation pathway, a critical stage in the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle during human infection. Thus, they are attractive targets for novel therapeutic compounds to treat malaria, which remains one of the world's biggest health problems. The three-dimensional structures available for P. falciparum plasmepsins II and IV make structure-based drug design of antimalarial compounds that focus on inhibiting plasmepsins possible...
Functional characterization of a redundant Plasmodium TRAP-family invasin, TRAP-like protein (TLP), by aldolase binding and a genetic complementation test [Eukaryotic Cell doi:10.1128/EC.00089-08] — (English)
We systematically tested potential parasite invasins for binding to the actin bridging molecule aldolase and complementation of the vital cytoplasmic domain of the sporozoite invasin TRAP. We show that the ookinete invasin CTRP and a novel, structurally related protein, termed TRAP-like protein (TLP), are functional members of the TRAP family. Although TLP is expressed in invasive stages, targeted gene disruption revealed a non-vital role during life cycle progression. This is the first genetic analysis of TLP, a redundant TRAP-family invasin, in the malaria parasite...
Solution Conformation, Backbone Dynamics and Lipid Interactions of the Intrinsically Unstructured Malaria Surface Protein MSP2 [ J Mol Biol. 2008 Mar 28] — (English)
Merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP2), one of the most abundant proteins on the surface of the merozoite stage of Plasmodium falciparum, is a potential component of a malaria vaccine, having shown some efficacy in a clinical trial in Papua New Guinea. MSP2 is a GPI-anchored protein consisting of conserved N- and C-terminal domains and a variable central region...
Nanosilica-from medicine to pest control [Parasitol Res. 2008 Apr 29] — (English)
Nanotechnology is a broad interdisciplinary area of research, development, and industrial activity that has been growing rapidly worldwide for the past decade. More ambitious uses of nanoparticles are bioremediation of contaminated environments, controlled release of fragrances, biocides, and antifungals on textiles. Silica nanocomposites have received much attention because of its thermal degradation behavior and applications in chromatography, medicine, optics, etc. Nanobiotech takes agriculture from the battleground of genetically modified organisms to the brave new world of atomically modified organisms where rice has been modified atomically. Silica has been widely applied in various industries. Application of gold-coated silica has been used in the treatment for benign and malignant tumor. Surface-modified hydrophobic as well as lipophilic nanosilica could be effectively used as novel drugs for treatment of chicken malaria and nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV), a scourge in silkworm industry. Here, the authors attempt to provide a review to explain the impact of nanosilica on basic biology, medicine, agro-nanoproducts, and use of amorphous nanosilica as biopesticide...
Antiplasmodial activity of sesquiterpene lactone from Carpesium rosulatum in mice [Parasitol Res. 2008 Apr 25] — (English)
In the previous work, methanol extracts of Carpesium rosulatum (Compositae) were found to have high antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, this activity being largely attributable to a ineupatorolides A (I-A). In the present study, encouragingly, I-A was also found to have potential antimalarial activity in vivo when tested against Plasmodium berghei in mice. I-A (2, 5, 10 mg kg−1 day−1) exhibited a significant blood schizontocidal activity in 4-day early infection, repository evaluation, and in established infection with a significant mean survival time comparable to that of the standard drug, chloroquine (5 mg kg−1 day−1). The I-A possesses a promising antiplasmodial activity, which can be exploited in malaria therapy...
Hemoglobinuria with Malaria [N Engl J Med. 2008 Apr 24;358(17):1837] — (English)
An otherwise healthy 30-year-old man had been ill for 2 days when he presented with a temperature of 39°C and reported passing dark urine (his case was noted in Bhatt et al., East African Medical Journal 1994;71:755-7). He reported taking no medication before coming to the hospital. Laboratory evaluation on admission was notable for a hemoglobin level of 7.6 g per deciliter, a serum urea nitrogen level of 4.8 mmol per liter (0.13 mg per deciliter), and a creatinine level of 89 µmol per liter (1.0 mg per deciliter)...
Artesunate for the Treatment of Severe Falciparum Malaria [N Engl J Med. 2008 Apr 24;358(17):1829-36] — (English)
This Journal feature begins with a case vignette that includes a therapeutic recommendation. A discussion of the clinical problem and the mechanism of benefit of this form of therapy follows. Major clinical studies, the clinical use of this therapy, and potential adverse effects are reviewed. Relevant formal guidelines, if they exist, are presented. The article ends with the author's clinical recommendations...
Critical role of a K+ channel in Plasmodium berghei transmission revealed by targeted gene disruption [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Apr 29;105(17):6398-402. Epub 2008 Apr 23] — (English)
Regulated K+ transport across the plasma membrane is of vital importance for the survival of most cells. Two K+ channels have been identified in the Plasmodium falciparum genome; however, their functional significance during parasite life cycle in the vertebrate host and during transmission through the mosquito vector remains unknown. We hypothesize that these two K+ channels mediate the transport of K+ in the parasites, and thus are important for parasite survival. To test this hypothesis, we identified the orthologue of one of the P. falciparum K+ channels, PfKch1, in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei (PbKch1) and examined the biological role by performing a targeted disruption of the gene encoding PbKch1...
Coinfection with Nonlethal Murine Malaria Parasites Suppresses Pathogenesis Caused by Plasmodium berghei NK65 [The Journal of Immunology, 2008, 180: 6877-6884] — (English)
Mixed infection with different Plasmodium species is often observed in endemic areas, and the infection with benign malaria parasites such as Plasmodium vivax or P. malariae has been considered to reduce the risk of developing severe pathogenesis caused by P. falciparum...
Malaria detection with the Sysmex XE-2100 hematology analyzer using pseudoeosinophilia and abnormal WBC scattergram [Ann Hematol. 2008 Apr 22] — (English)
Recent investigation using the Sysmex XE-2100 hematology analyzer (Sysmex Corporation, Japan) has demonstrated erroneously high eosinophil counts and abnormal white blood cell (WBC) scattergrams in malaria cases. This study was conducted to assess the diagnostic efficiency of the Sysmex XE-2100 analyzer for malaria. One hundred forty-four patients initially diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax infection, 319 patients with febrile illness, and 24 patients who underwent malaria treatment were analyzed. Atypical features on Sysmex XE-2100 analyzer were categorized as pseudoeosinophilia (a gap of more than 5% in eosinophil counts between the Sysmex XE-2100 analyzer and microscopic examination) and abnormal WBC scattergram. Pseudoeosinophilia or abnormal WBC scattergram were detected in 100 of 144 malaria-positive samples (sensitivity 69.4%, specificity 100%). The samples with pseudoeosinophilia or abnormal WBC scattergrams showed significantly higher parasite counts than the samples without pseudoeosinophilia or an abnormal WBC scattergram (P< 0.05). All 24 samples from patients for whom the malaria smear was repeated after malaria treatment was initiated showed a normalized eosinophil count and a normal WBC histogram. In conclusion, attention to differential count and WBC scattergrams provided by the Sysmex XE-2100 would be a valuable tool in malaria detection...
C5 deficiency and C5a or C5aR blockade protects against cerebral malaria [The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2008 Apr 21] — (English)
Experimental infection of mice with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) provides a powerful model to define genetic determinants that regulate the development of cerebral malaria (CM). Based on the hypothesis that excessive activation of the complement system may confer susceptibility to CM, we investigated the role of C5/C5a in the development of CM. We show a spectrum of susceptibility to PbA in a panel of inbred mice; all CM-susceptible mice examined were found to be C5 sufficient, whereas all C5-deficient strains were resistant to CM. Transfer of the C5-defective allele from an A/J (CM resistant) onto a C57BL/6 (CM-susceptible) genetic background in a congenic strain conferred increased resistance to CM; conversely, transfer of the C5-sufficient allele from the C57BL/6 onto the A/J background recapitulated the CM-susceptible phenotype. The role of C5 was further explored in B10.D2 mice, which are identical for all loci other than C5. C5-deficient B10.D2 mice were protected from CM, whereas C5-sufficient B10.D2 mice were susceptible. Antibody blockade of C5a or C5a receptor (C5aR) rescued susceptible mice from CM. In vitro studies showed that C5a-potentiated cytokine secretion induced by the malaria product P. falciparum glycosylphosphatidylinositol and C5aR blockade abrogated these amplified responses. These data provide evidence implicating C5/C5a in the pathogenesis of CM...
Larvicidal activities of some organotin compounds on mosquito larvae: A QSAR study [Eur J Med Chem. 2008 Mar 10] — (English)
Mosquitoes are not only the cause of nuisance by their bites but also transmit deadly diseases like malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, dengue, and Japanese encephalitis. In this paper, nine QSAR models were developed using different series of organotins with respect to their larvicidal activities against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi mosquito larvae. Internal [cross-validation (LOO-q2), quality factor (Q), Fischer statistics (F), and Y-randomization] and external validation tests have validated all these QSAR models. QSAR results suggest that the two most important determinants for the toxicity are the hydrophobic (π) and Hammett electronic (σ+) parameters of the substituents, and the kill mechanism is different for these two species of mosquito larvae. On the basis of QSAR (6), nine compounds 4a–4i are suggested as potential synthetic targets...
A dehydrochlorinase-based pH change assay for determination of DDT in sprayed surfaces [Anal Biochem. 2008 Apr 8] — (English)
A glutathione S-transferase (GST) from the mosquito Aedes aegypti (aagste2), selected in the field as a major metabolic resistance enzyme for this parasite vector, was employed to produce a highly specific assay for the determination of DDT [1,1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene]. Detection is based on the pH change occurring in an appropriate buffer system by the concomitant release of H+ during the aagste2-catalyzed dehydrochlorination reaction and is monitored potentiometrically or colorimetrically in the presence of a pH marker. The theoretical limit of detection (LOD) of the assay is 3.8 μg/ml, and the linear range of quantification is 12 to 250 μg/ml. The method does not recognize biologically inactive DDT analogues or major DDT photodegradants and breakdown molecules, and it is highly specific for the insecticidal p.p’DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane]. The biosensor was validated with a number of insecticide swabs from DDT-sprayed surfaces and found to be reproducible and reliable as compared with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (correlation coefficient R2 = 0.98). Given the current expansion of DDT residual sprayings in many regions of Africa as a key strategic intervention for malaria vector control, this simple assay to monitor DDT levels for vector control spraying programs could have an important impact on malaria control...
Resurrection of DDT : need for caution [Indian J Med Res 126, December 2007, pp 584-586] — (English)
Apropos the editorial on resurrection of DDT by
Dash et al...
Dynamics of Asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax Infections and Duffy Binding Protein Polymorphisms in Relation to Parasitemia Levels in Papua New Guinean Children [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 77(5), 2007, pp. 955-962] — (English)
The interaction between Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein II (PvDBPII) and human erythrocyte Duffy antigen is necessary for blood stage infections. However, PvDBPII is highly polymorphic. We recently observed that certain recombinant DBPII variants bind better to erythrocytes in vitro. To examine the hypothesis that haplotypes with enhanced binding have increased parasitemia levels, we followed 206 Papua New Guinean children biweekly for six months with a total of 713 P. vivax samples genotyped. Twenty-seven PvDBPII haplotypes were identified, and 3 haplotypes accounted for 57% of the infections. The relative frequencies of dominant haplotypes remained stable throughout the study. There was no significant association with PvDBPII alleles or haplotypes with P. vivax parasitemia. The dominant haplotype (26% of samples), however, corresponded to a high-binding haplotype. Thus, common haplotypes are not likely to have arisen from increased fitness as measured by greater parasitemia levels. The restricted number of common haplotypes increases the feasibility of a PvDBPII-based vaccine...
Prepared in cooperation with WHO ANGOLA INFO.
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