Monday, February 16, 2009

Malaria Strain Resistant to Drugs


Artemisinin has been known for the past several years as the strongest, most efficient remedy against malaria. A recent series of studies has shown, however, that this drug is losing its effectiveness as a new malaria strain has developed a resistance to it. Only two patients in the study have shown resistance to the drug, and they were later cured, so it is still in very early stages. However, if ignored, this new type of malaria could spread quickly and cause disastrous setbacks in the global fight against the disease. To protect against artemisinin resistance, global health authorities are trying to ensure that it is used only in combinations with other antimalaria drugs that linger in the blood, getting rid of any arteminisin-resistant parasites.
Source: NY Times