Malaria Minute, 24 January 2020
Malaria antibodies in pregnant women may be a marker of exposure, not protection, from malaria and a combination of antimalarial drugs is less efficacious than if used in tandem.
Malaria Minute, 17 January 2020
Single-cell genome processing yields surprising results about the origin of complex malaria and study finds that the management of malaria in children at schools is ineffective.
The Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance (MESA) is seeking three volunteers as MESA Correspondents to report from the EMBL Conference "Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite" in Heidelberg, Germany, May 18 - 20, 2020.
WHO forecasts an alarming increase of diabetes in Africa, from 7 020 000 cases in 2000 to18 234 000 cases in 2030, with a high death toll if no efficient and affordable cure is found.
Malaria Minute, 10 January 2020
A mechanism of resistance to artemisinin is identified and researchers find that breastfeeding could help to prevent malaria in babies.
The progression to schizont formation of individual activated hypnozoites has been reported for the first time. This means that it is probably no longer appropriate to use the words "theory" and "hypothesis" when talking about hypnozoites in relation to malarial relapse. The link to the important publication concerned (by Voorberg-van der Wel et al.) is:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-019-0737-3
Malaria Minute, 3 January 2020
Researchers from the Pasteur Institute discover molecules that can kill the malaria parasite and researchers from LSTM identify a resistance mechanism for insecticides used on bed nets.
Malaria Minute, 27 December 2019
Gene drives prove most efficient in the introduction of a transgene in populations of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes.
Malaria Minute, 20 December 2019
Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall institute identify a new drug which blocks plasmepsin, a critical enzyme in gametocyte production.
Another important property of Artemisia plants. Might help us to better understand the high efficacy against tropical diseases. Just published in PPIJ! See pdf attached
And as Artemisia afra is endemic in so many African countries and used since generations as traditional medicine against malaria no further pre-clinical trials are required as per WHO/EDM/TRM/2000.1
This traditional use is recognized by WHO in the October 2019 statement WHO-CDS-GMP-2019.14
Attention is drawn to a paper (by G. Franken, J. Richter, and A. Labisch) which points out, quite rightly, that it would be appropriate for more research on aspects of the life cycle of Plasmodium species that infect humans to be carried out, using modern techniques. The current "liver and blood" concept of the life cycle should not be regarded as the final "word" on the subject.
Link to the publication:
Malaria Minute, 13 December 2019
The Gavi Alliance grant an additional $11.6 million in funding to extend clinical trials of the RTS,S vaccine.
Malaria Minute, 6 December 2019
The WHO publish their annual World Malaria Report which, this year, places emphasis on protecting pregnant women and children from malaria.
More pregnant women and children protected from malaria, but accelerated efforts and funding needed to reinvigorate global response, WHO report shows
The World malaria report 2019 provides a comprehensive update on global and regional malaria data and trends. The report tracks investments in malaria programmes and research as well as progress across all intervention areas: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, elimination and surveillance. It also includes dedicated chapters on the consequences of malaria on maternal, infant and child health, the “High Burden to High Impact” approach as well as biological threats to the fight against malaria.
The 2019 report is based on information received from more than 80 countries and areas with ongoing malaria transmission. This information is supplemented by data from national household surveys and databases held by other organizations.
Malaria Minute, 29 November 2019
A genome of the European lineage of P. vivax malaria is generated by scientists and engineers develop an artificially-intelligent microscope for malaria diagnosis.
Science, Nov. 26, 2019: by Jop de Vrieze
MALAWI—In a small room at the Phalula Health Centre in southern Malawi's Balaka district, two young mothers are sitting on a wooden bench, each with a 5-month-old baby on their lap. Across from them, behind a desk, sits Alfred Kaponya, a community health worker. A colleague is busy preparing a vaccine, tapping the syringe to dislodge bubbles. Kaponya explains the procedure to the women, writes down the vaccines' serial numbers in the children's vaccination booklets, and copies them onto a spreadsheet in his binder.
For figures see attached pdf
There are many anecdotic reports indicating that including stems and twigs with dried Artemisia leaves augments the power of the infusion. Operators of a palm oil plant in Burundi only drink infusions made with stems and stay malaria free.
Dried Artemisia annua herb of Chinese origin and sold in European pharmacies contains at least 70 % of stems.
Malaria Minute, 22 November 2019
Schoolchildren find that some of their families’ soup recipes have antimalarial properties and a Swiss-led team of cell biologists identify hundreds of targets needed in drug and vaccine development.
In relation to some biological and epidemiological implications of the killing of Plasmodium vivax by hydrogen peroxide, discussed in a November 2019 publication (click on the first link below and, in turn, click on the "Free Download" link that comes up in a Tweet), see the comments in the MalariaWorld Newsletter by Pierre Lutgen concerning hydrogen peroxide. Find his blog via the second link provided below.
https://twitter.com/TrendsParasitol/status/1187787596317036544
Malaria Minute, 15 November 2019
Hormones received during mating boost the likelihood of malaria transmission and an ongoing autoimmune attack on uninfected red blood cells can ultimately anaemia.
Malaria Minute, 8 November 2019
Research details how malaria parasites prepare for human infection and researchers evaluate the use of drones in spraying insecticide in irrigated areas of land in Zanzibar.
Drones have taken to the skies over Zanzibar, spraying paddy fields with a solution that drowns mosquito pupae and larvae in a bid to fight malaria.
Day 4: Saturday, 2nd November 2019
Innovating to Enable Malaria Elimination I
Day 3: Friday, 1st November 2019
Leveraging Data Science to Defeat Malaria I
The Fever portrays the fight against malaria as a case study--in greed and courage. For The Fever Katharina Weingartner focuses on the complex history, present and future of malaria and observes the search for a solution. Could millions of deaths have been prevented, if ancient medical knowledge had been taken more seriously?
Day 2: Thursday, 31st October 2019
Welcome and Keynote Address
Malaria Minute, 1 November 2019
Researchers image the mode of action of quinoline drugs, the function of rhomboid proteases is dynamically detailed and the WHO declares that 7 million cases of malaria have been reported in Burundi this year.
