Malaria mutations may be gaining a foothold in Africa, shows new data
New data provide the first clinical evidence that drug-resistant mutations in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum may be gaining a foothold in Africa. The study, conducted in Rwanda, is published in
The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal and finds for the first time that the mutations are associated with delayed parasite clearance, as was first shown in South-East Asia when artemisinin-resistance started to emerge.
The study also finds that the mutations are more prevalent than previous studies have reported, indicating likely transmission of the mutations, and raising concern about further geographical spread of resistance.
“Mutations can emerge spontaneously, and previous studies have pointed to isolated cases of resistance. However, our new study shows that resistant isolates are starting to become more common and most importantly, are associated with clinical implications [delayed parasite clearance],” said lead author Dr Aline Uwimana, from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, in Kigali.
The experts called for more intensive surveillance of drug resistance in Rwanda and other African countries. “Our study showed that the treatment for malaria in Rwanda is still 94% effective, but new studies and ongoing monitoring are urgently needed,” said co-author Dr Naomi Lucchi, CDC resident adviser for the US President’s Malaria Initiative.
Drug-resistant malaria mutations gaining foothold in Africa: Study
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Drug-resistant mutations in a malaria parasite may be gaining a foothold in Africa, according to data from a new study.
The research, which has been published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, found for the first time that mutations in Plasmodium falciparum parasites in Rwanda were associated with a reduction in the effectiveness of common therapies for children with malaria.
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are currently the most effective and widely-used treatments for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.
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The treatment works by combining an artemisinin component to clear most of the parasites from a patient’s body within three days and a long-acting partner drug to clear the remaining parasites.