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Drug-Resistant Malaria May Pose Major Threat

According to Newsweek, "A strain of drug-resistant malaria that was discovered last summer along the Thailand-Cambodia border has been been spreading throughout Southeast Asia, to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar." Specifically, the samples are resistant to anti-malarial artemisinin. The study analyzed more than 900 blood samples from malaria patients at over 55 different sites in Myanmar. The results showed that the drug-resistant bug was widespread, and dangerously close to the Indian border in the country’s Sagaing region. "Our study shows that artemisinin resistance extends over more of southeast Asia than had previously been known, and is now present close to the border with India,” wrote the researchers in the study abstract.

21 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. One of these days Mother Nature is going to decide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    that there are just too many people. The Earth is a self-correcting system.

  2. Re:Let's Get Real You Stupid Humans by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 2

    Just wait til Bill Gates begins twiddling with these mosquitoes at the genetic level - as threatened. What could possibly go wrong, for the Sorcerer's Apprentice?

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  3. Re:One of these days Mother Nature is going to dec by BoRegardless · · Score: 4, Informative

    Indeed, major pandemics have been documented throughout the last 2000 years. Air travel today, just means they happen much faster.

    The average person thinks modern medicine and hospitals can "take care of everything" but plans can't be made when a pandemic strikes 20 or 25% of the population who all want to go to the hospital in the same time period.

    The WWI-1918 "Spanish Flu" was perhaps the last major pandemic, infecting 1 out of 3 people in the world and killing 10% of the world's population in about 18 months.

  4. Re:One of these days Mother Nature is going to dec by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2

    The WWI-1918 "Spanish Flu" was perhaps the last major pandemic, infecting 1 out of 3 people in the world and killing 10% of the world's population in about 18 months.

    3% to 5% of the world's population. It killed fewer than 100 million people, possibly as low as 50 million....

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
  5. Re:the samples are resistant to anti-malarial arte by sjames · · Score: 2

    IIRC quinine is still effective but because it can have worse side effects, it is a second line drug now if artemisinin fails.

    But be careful, it does nothing against tigers.

  6. Overuse of artemisinin? by nbauman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I recall reading that the reason for the drug resistance was the over-use of sub-therapeutic levels of artemisinin in the area.

    And for that reason, the resistance is limited to those regions where they use sub-therapeutic levels.

    Right?

    1. Re:Overuse of artemisinin? by nbauman · · Score: 3, Informative

      Here's the article I was thinking about. From the conclusion:

      http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/1...
      Artemisinin Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria
      Arjen M. Dondorp, M.D., François Nosten, M.D., Poravuth Yi, M.D., et al.
      N Engl J Med 2009; 361:455-467
      July 30, 2009
      DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0808859
      [Free]

      Chloroquine and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance in P. falciparum emerged in the late 1950s and 1960s on the Thai–Cambodian border and spread across Asia and then Africa, contributing to millions of deaths from malaria.28,29 Artemisinins have been available as monotherapies in western Cambodia for more than 30 years, in a variety of forms and doses, whereas in most countries (other than China, where they were discovered), they have been a relatively recent introduction.1 Despite the early implementation of an active malaria-control program by the Ministry of Health of Cambodia, including the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapies in 2001, a recent survey showed that 78% of artemisinin use in western Cambodia consisted of monotherapy provided through the private sector.30 The extended period of often-suboptimal use, and the genetic background of parasites from this region,31 might have contributed to the emergence and subsequent spread of these new artemisinin-resistant parasites in western Cambodia. In contrast, artemisinin derivatives have been used almost exclusively in combination with mefloquine on the Thai–Burmese border, where parasitologic responses to artemisinins remain good, even after 15 years of intensive use.27 Measures for containment are now urgently needed to limit the spread of these parasites from western Cambodia and to prevent a major threat to current plans for eliminating malaria.

    2. Re:Overuse of artemisinin? by michelcolman · · Score: 2

      I do seem to remember an article saying that drug resistance decreased when the organisms were no longer frequently exposed to the drug. Resistance is a huge genetic advantage when the drug is regularly applied (as with antibiotics in hospitals), but actually a small disadvantage when the drug is no longer applied because it makes the rest of the organism less efficient. In an environment without the drug, the non-resistant bacteria apparently outperformed the resistant bacteria so that resistance faded away. The article was about antibiotics, but I imagine it probably applies to protozoa as well. I wish I could find the link.

  7. Re:Man in the middle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    You do realize that Malaria is a protozoan, not a bacteria, and definitely not a virus. Vaccines are only for viruses - to prime your immune system to react and eradicate the virus when it encounters it, not to treat the infection. Not for bacteria and definitely not for protozoan. Antibiotics are for the *treatment* of bacterial infections and are not a preventative (cleanliness is the preventative). Protozoan, like Malaria, treatments are basically toxins/poisons that are poisonous to the protozoan more than they are poisonous to you (like Quinine). So, what does "Anti-Vaxxers" have to do with it? Throwing things like that out just gives the anti-sciece crowd ammunition.

  8. Re:Use MMS to cure Malaria - Simple Cheap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    > But because it is cheap, drug companies don't like it.

    Because drug companies never convolute simple compounds and make it exorbitantly expensive to access (eg Brand Coumadin vs Generic Sodium Warafin).

    If MMS (hey look, someone tried to brand it already!) actually cured malaria, drug companies would sell it. It's not like maladria is going to be eradicated (if it was, they would raise the price!).

  9. Re:Use MMS to cure Malaria - Simple Cheap by jklovanc · · Score: 3

    Or because or does not work and is toxic.

    Just watch the video. It has all the hallmarks of a scam. If it works do a real trial instead of posting unverified videos.

  10. Gin & Tonic by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is it resistant to gin & tonic?

    --

    "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

  11. Re:Man in the middle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You do realize that you are completely wrong?
    Vaccines are not only for viruses - the very common vaccine Di-Per-Te is a nice sample - it is for three different bacterias.
    Protozoal vaccines are also in use eg. Nobivac Piro.
    Vaccines can be made for every infective agent that represents antibodies - or it's antibodies are represented on cells that are infected by this agent.
    In one aspect you are right: currently there is no vaccine for Malaria.

  12. Re:the samples are resistant to anti-malarial arte by dryeo · · Score: 2

    in all probability or else they'd be using DDT, which is legal for malaria control.
    DDT is a good example of a failure of capitalism. A wonder chemical that was pushed as a money maker as hard as the chemical company could and while it succeeded in bringing malaria under control in temperate climates, in tropical climates mosquitoes evolved resistance.
    We're seeing the same thing now with anti-biotics. Drug companies have pushed the use so much that even live stock uses tons and it is routinely used for useless things like viral infections as well as being overused for much else and now bacteria are becoming more and more anti-biotic resistance and soon we will be back to early 20th century conditions when so many died of simple infections.

    --
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  13. Re:the samples are resistant to anti-malarial arte by dryeo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    An yet the raptors made a serious comeback after DDT use was cut back. Yesterday I went to the local dump and counted 30 eagles. It's important to have carrion eaters around to slow down disease spread and eagles are very good at eating carrion.

    --
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  14. Re:Gene Modification by dryeo · · Score: 2

    We need a worldwide effort from every single nation to capture specimens of every mosquito species. Once this is done, all mosquito species should have their genes resequenced so that all males are made sterile, thus destroying this creature in every habitat, worldwide. This entire species has no redeeming value whatsoever, and should be completely eradicated.

    Great, wipe out another pollinator and then wonder why the environment is deteriorating. You do realize that male mosquitoes often live on pollen and are a pollinator, as well as many types of mosquito don't bother people.
    As stupid as indiscriminately using DDT for everything until resistance was bred instead of treating it more like the nuclear option. We're currently doing the same now with anti-biotics.

    --
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  15. Re: the samples are resistant to anti-malarial art by dryeo · · Score: 3

    Just because something is short term beneficial does not mean it is long term beneficial. There's also the problem that some moves benefit a small group while harming a large group. Fatten up the animals, good for the farmer. Encourage the evolution of anti-biotic resistant e. coli, bad for society.

    --
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  16. Re:One of these days Mother Nature is going to dec by BoRegardless · · Score: 2

    Agree with your 3-5% mortality. I find it astonishing that 1 in 3 people were estimated to have contracted the flu. Virtually all people were exposed, so that means they must have had prior antibodies.

  17. Re:the samples are resistant to anti-malarial arte by rs79 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "In malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, for example, depletes its host of Vitamin A, possibly resulting in blindness in some cases. However, 200,000 International Units of Vitamin A, given to children every three months can reduce significantly their susceptibility to malaria. This would seem to be a minimum child dosage for the treatment of the disease."

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu...

    --
    Need Mercedes parts ?
  18. Re:Let's Get Real You Stupid Humans by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

    Do you think that if someone does genemod mosquitoes to reduce malarial load on humans, that they won't be tested?

    I think they'll be just as well-tested as GMO crops, which means one or two generations, slap them on the ass, and send them out the door.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  19. Re:the samples are resistant to anti-malarial arte by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The device can be build in a day at any University.Please study this and share the word about this Malaria Treatment using Oscillating Magnetic Fields which can be built by Collage or University students.Six million people are dying each year from Malaria.People just like you.Children,men women, mothers and fathers dying in great pain and suffering from malaria right now.Remember just because it's not shown on the tv does not mean it's not happening. www.washington.edu/news/2000/03/30/magnetic-fields-may-hold-key-to-malaria-treatment-uw-researchers-find/
    The year 2000 research was confirmed in 2011 and can be seen here:-
    http://www.phys.cwru.edu/undergrad/Senior%20Projects/papers/papers2011/Thompson_Brown_2011%20S.pdf

    How many people does it take before it becomes wrong? A thousand? Fifty thousand? A million? How many people DOES IT TAKE?
    1 ) In year 2000 Professor Henry Lai of University of Washington discovered that relatively weak oscillating magnetic fields disrupt the reproductive cycle of the malaria parasite.Here is the link:-
    https://www.washington.edu/news/2000/03/30/magnetic-fields-may-hold-key-to-malaria-treatment-uw-researchers-find/

    2 ) In year 2008 Davids group became concerned that nobody had done anything for 8 years after the above discovery even though 6000 people were dying daily in Africa and Asia and decided to construct the machine based on Professor Lai's research paper and took it to Ghana for testing.

    The pictures you see are of the machine using Oscillating Magnetic Fields to treat malaria patients.The patient simply sits inside the machine for a couple of hours and can read a book ,watch tv ,sleep,read a newspaper,have dinner and even have sex with his partner although it will be a bit tight inside the machine.

    Take your time and examine the pictures carefully at high magnification.

    The results of the Ghana trip are summarized here:-"Now our first study is finished and 26 patients were treated. Out of the 26 patients, all except one became negative with the magnetic treatment! One felt worse the day after treatment started and decided to go for medication instead, so he dropped out of the study. The other 25 patients all became negative. And the ones who did not have high levels of parasites, were negative right after the first 60 minutes of treatment! This is so fast that we do not really have an explanation of how it could work so quickly. But the results are nothing short of sensational".

    http://health-and-politics.blogspot.co.uk//health-great-ma

    3 ) In 2011 Mary Thompson, Department of Physics & Dr. Robert Brown, Department of Physics of Case Western Reserve University and Dr. Brian Grimberg, Center for Global Health and Disease, CWRU School of Medicine published a research pape.It is called:-

    " Plasmodium falciparum Response to Oscillating Weak Magnetic Fields"

    It validated and confirmed Professor's Lai year 2000 research findings.

    You can download it free here:-

    http://www.phys.cwru.edu/undergrad/Senior%20Projects/papers/papers2011/Thompson_Brown_2011%20S.pdf

    Read it a few times and it will allow you to construct the machine using standard equipment found in most collages and universities science labs.
    No new complex,expensive parts are required and the device essentially consists of coils of wire connected to a function generator.

    4 ) In 2012 Paul Diament and Ilya Trakht did much more detailed research and took out a patent on this application of using oscillating magnetic fields to disrupt the malaria parasites reproductive cycle and studying their effects.

    A patent application involves considerable hard work in writing up and presentation.A patent in the U.S.A costs $12000 plus $8000 in attorney/lawyers fees.So to spend so much money on a patent the researchers have to be convinced of their research findings.
    Here is the detailed patent:-

    https://www.google.com/patents/US20140039240

    In this patent the researchers explore different