News (Scientific)

A new approach could illuminate a critical stage in the life cycle of one of the most common malaria parasites.

In a step toward better control of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, researchers have mapped the patterns of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes across Africa. The new study found that resistance to five mainstream insecticides increased dramatically between 2005 and 2017.

Clinicians should carefully monitor patients treated with chloroquine therapy, particularly elderly women and others at higher risk for heart rhythm abnormalities, investigators caution in new article.

New findings pave the way for a novel, next generation genetically attenuated parasite (GAP) vaccine against the deadliest form of malaria in humans.

Researchers working in rural Kenya have identified the most productive breeding habitats for mosquitoes that spread a range of untreatable viruses. Their findings point to more effective health interventions that focus on the purpose of water-holding containers.

An indoor residual spray made by combining a type of volcanic glass with water showed effective control of mosquitoes that carry malaria, according to a new study. The findings could be useful in reducing disease-carrying mosquito populations - and the risk of malaria - in Africa.

In a new study, researchers call attention to the emergence of mosquito-borne viral outbreaks in West Africa, such as dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses.

Researchers have long known that all of the millions of malaria parasites within an infected person's body move through their cell cycle at the same time. They multiply in sync inside red blood cells, then burst out in unison every few days. But how the parasites keep time was unclear. Now, a study finds that malaria has its own internal clock that causes thousands of genes to ramp up and down at regular intervals.

The parasite that causes malaria has its own internal clock, explaining the disease's rhythmic fevers and opening new pathways for therapeutics.

Researchers have identified a microscopic 'ingredient' that can be added to a malaria vaccine for efficient protection against the deadly pathogen.

A modification that creates more male offspring was able to eliminate populations of malaria mosquitoes in lab experiments.

Researchers have developed a new approach to detecting a person's immunity to an infectious disease -- providing valuable details about whether and when a person was exposed to the infection. The test was developed for detecting recent exposure to malaria, but the research team are now working to adapt it to detect previous exposure to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. By providing a detailed picture of when an infection spread in a community, the test offers new opportunities for improving infection control and elimination strategies -- particularly in lower income countries.

A new computational method for assigning the donor in single cell RNA sequencing experiments provides an accurate way to unravel data from a mixture of people. The Souporcell method could help study how genetic variants in different people affect which genes are expressed during infection or response to drugs, and help research into transplants, personalized medicine and malaria.

Wide-scale use of insecticide-treated bed nets has led to substantial declines in global incidences of malaria in recent years. As a result, mosquitoes have been shifting their biting times to earlier in the evening and later in the morning.

For the first time, researchers have shown a key difference in the three-dimensional structures of a key metabolic enzyme in the parasite that causes malaria compared to its human counterpart.

Mass drug administration and vector control can help eliminate malaria. A vector refers to an organism that transmits infection, as mosquitoes infected with parasites transmit malaria to people.

In a study that could lead to a new vaccine against malaria, researchers have found antibodies that trigger a 'kill switch' in malarial cells, causing them to self-destruct.

New research from entomologists clears a potential obstacle to using CRISPR-Cas9 'gene drive' technology to control mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika.

Mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. A new low-cost imaging system could make it easier to track mosquito species that carry disease, enabling a more timely and targeted response.

The parasite causing the most severe form of human malaria uses proteins to make red blood cells sticky, making it harder for the immune system to destroy it and leading to potentially fatal blood clots. New research has identified how the parasite may control this process.