Drug-resistant Malaria Threatens To Spread

[spectrum]

Drug-resistant malaria threatens to spread

The emergence of new drug resistant malaria at the Thai-Cambodian border could "seriously undermine" efforts to bring the disease under control, the World Health Organisation said Wednesday.

"Surveillance systems and research studies... are providing new evidence that parasites resistant to artemisinin have emerged along the border between Cambodia and Thailand where workers walk for miles every day to clear forests," said the WHO in a statement.

"The risk that they may be infected with a drug-resistant form of malaria could set back recent successes to control the disease," it said.

New artemisinin-based medication has been largely credited in recent years for increasing recovery rates from the mosquito-transmitted disease that kills one million people a year.

It was regarded as a replacement for older drugs that were fast becoming useless in several areas of the world as the malaria parasite developed resistance to them.

"If we do not put a stop to the drug-resistant malaria situation that has been documented in the Thai-Cambodian border, it could spread rapidly to neighbouring countries and threaten our efforts to control this deadly disease," said WHO Assistant Director-General Hiroki Nakatani.

The WHO said it had obtained a $22.5 million grant from the Gates Foundation to find ways of containing the resistant strains of malaria.

Strains of malaria resistant to drugs such as mefloquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine also emerged several years ago at the Thai-Cambodian border.

By: AFP

Published: 26/02/2009 at 05:04 AM Geneva

[FBN]

This is indeed significant. Increased drug resistance of both Malaria and other parasites as well as bacteria is resulting in a re-emergence of these diseases.

One of the main factors implicated in the development of resistance, especially in the north west of Thailand was the availability of artemesin from unofficial resources and the indiscriminate use. Previously with Chloroquin in Africa.

The same is happening in the bacterial infectious diseases.

This is leading to the development of more drugs which are increasingly more dangerous to the host. There are promising developments of vaccines for malaria but these are still far from a reality.

Both Dengue fever and Malaria are predicted to spread to previously unaffected areas if global temperatures rise and a rise in the global impact of previously "tropical" diseases is predicted.

[colibra]

I have a friend who had malaria. She took sodium chlorite and it worked for her. Took a couple of days and it was gone. Its been a while, with no return of her symptoms. Might be worth having around if this report is true that there is a drug resistant strain on the lose. I keep some around as a water purifier in a pinch. I think most camping stores stock it. I bought some at REI (big camping store in the states) years ago for hunting and camping trips. Worked well as so far have not gotten any microbes from my drinking water.

It seems like we read more and more about drug resistant stains of many diseases that used to be cured with simple antibiotics like staff and the new resistant forms of it. A bit worrisum. Well take care.

[FBN]

There was a discussion on Sodium Chlorite before on this forum and it will not be useful to go there again. This is a toxic chemical classified so by the EPA in the US.

Please note: This is NOT an accepted treatment for Malaria in any form. Malaria is a potentially fatal disease. The appropriate management is to have a blood test as soon as possible when this condition is suspected and have appropriate medical treatment and monitoring.

[londonthai]

antibiotics are over the counter medicine in thailand and untrained pharmacists often do "recommend" them for any sort of medical conditions because they are fast and radical. Same goes with prescription from the doctors - they might give 2-3 antibiotics at the same time, just in case one doesn't work efectively, the other migh do.

patient will keep the remaining antibiotics, instead of disposing them after the illness, and use in the future - hence population, where new strains of bacterias and viruses will grow and develop. Same problem, but on a smaller scale, exists in the west, hence "hospital bugs" killing thousands a year.

[Hairy]

Well, ok, except that doxycycline is a proper treatment for malaria. It's also recommended as a prophylaxis when in areas where the parasite is resistant to mefloquine. IIRC, 100mg daily, starting at least two days before entering the area, and continuing at least two MONTHS after leaving the area. Check current guidelines to be sure, though.

http://www.cdc.gov/MALARIA/diagnosis_treatment/treatment.htm

[FBN]

Well, ok, except that doxycycline is a proper treatment for malaria. It's also recommended as a prophylaxis when in areas where the parasite is resistant to mefloquine. IIRC, 100mg daily, starting at least two days before entering the area, and continuing at least two MONTHS after leaving the area. Check current guidelines to be sure, though.

http://www.cdc.gov/MALARIA/diagnosis_treatment/treatment.htm

Just a correction: Doxycycline is used in combination with quinine for actual treatment not alone. Duration to continue prophylaxis is 4 weeks after return. Doxy can cause sensitisation to sunlight as well as gastrointestinal upsets.

Specific treatment depends on the type of malaria as well.

http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/pdf/treatmenttable.pdf