---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 15:16:47 -0700
From: Charlotte Utting <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [WASAN] FW: MALARIA:  Fatal Human Strain Appears To Have Reached
    Africa


----------
From: Rana Jawad Asghar <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 09:33:30 -0700 (PDT)
To: "International Health" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: MALARIA:  Fatal Human Strain Appears To Have Reached Africa

MALARIA:  Fatal Human Strain Appears To Have Reached Africa

A US geneticist appears to have uncovered evidence that a deadly mutant
strain
of malaria, caused by the plasmodium falciparum parasite, has reached Africa
after first emerging in parts of Asia and South America years ago, the Wall
Street Journal reports.

University of Washington geneticist Carol Sibley made her discovery six
months
ago, while studying nine blood samples from malaria-infected children in
Tanzania.  The Journal reports that her findings are not yet well-known,
even
among malaria specialists, and there is a lengthy verification process in
the
scientific community before her findings can be confirmed.

"Scientifically, this is very exciting, but I'm also depressed," she said.

Malaria can be caused by four different parasites, but falciparum is the
biggest killer and has a long history of resistance to drug treatment.  It
has
undergone four mutations since its discovery, but the Journal reports that
the
latest mutation is the most alarming, because it shields the parasite from
SP,
one of the most affordable and widely used medicines in Africa.  Already,
90%
of the 1 million deaths from malaria worldwide that occur each year are in
Africa, but if SP becomes ineffective, scientists are concerned malaria
deaths
could rise.

Nick White, a malaria expert funded by British health care charity Wellcome
Trust, said scientists have been "terrified this is going to show up in
Africa."

The Journal reports that scientists are pursuing a new initiative to help
combat the new mutation.  In several large-scale African trials, the results
of
which have not yet been published, drugs made with the ancient Chinese herb
qinghaosu cured more than 90% of malaria cases in certain countries,
according
to the World Health Organization, which spearheaded the effort.  The herb is
proving effective against falciparum among those infected, but it is also
useful in preventing its spread, because mosquitoes that bite malaria
patients
treated with the herb don't pick up the parasite.

The Journal reports that scientists are now working to combine qinghaosu
with
existing drugs to forge a powerful new weapon against the new mutation.  The
new therapies are "the most exciting and positive development we've had in
treating malaria for quite a while," said Steven Meshnick, a University of
Michigan expert on anti-malarial drugs (Gautam Naik, Wall Street Journal, 26
Jul).

Meanwhile, because malaria trends have worsened in recent years in tropical
areas of the developing world, and because the parasite continues to mutate
and
develop resistance to drug and to DDT alternatives, the Journal reports that
the "pendulum appears to be swinging back toward DDT."

Developed countries used DDT to win out against malaria and to combat other
pests decades ago, but by the 1970s, Western countries were banning the
chemical after seeing the harm it did to the environment.  Today, countries
such as South Africa and two dozen other countries still use it because it
is
effective and cheap to use in the fight against malaria.  The Journal
reports
it is seen as the lesser of two evils for many developing countries.

"It's against our conscience to use DDT.  But so is watching people die from
malaria," said Rejoice Mabudafhasi, South Africa's deputy minister of
environmental affairs and tourism.  "It's a horrible choice we have to make
in
our country."  South Africa is now also pressuring Mozambique to resort to
DDT
again to combat its malaria problem (Roger Thurow, Wall Street Journal, 26
Jul).


Conference In Zimbabwe Launches Regional Action Plan

A World Health Organization conference on malaria in Victoria Falls,
Zimbabwe,
was scheduled to go on as planned yesterday with the launch of the Southern
African Development Community Malaria Action Plan in spite of a fire that
destroyed most of the conference's venue Tuesday.  South African Health
Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and health ministers from Zimbabwe and
Swaziland were still expected to attend the launch.

"We have very thorough contingency plans worked out to deal with this, and
guests have already been relocated to nearby hotels.  We are reassessing the
situation and reorganizing plans," said WHO spokesperson Phillip Nyahoda
(SABCnews.com, 25 Jul).

The conference was held to make plans for malaria control over the next five
years and to mobilize national, SADC and international resources to combat
the
disease, a WHO statement released Tuesday said.  Malaria kills 300,000
people
and infects 23 million more in southern Africa annually, but the WHO said
that
despite these challenges, the target of reducing malaria deaths in the
region
by 150,000 a year by 2010 can be achieved (Xinhua News Agency, 24 Jul).



=====
Rana Jawad Asghar, MD, MPH
Research Associate
Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine
Stanford University,

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/9653

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
http://phonecard.yahoo.com/


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Small business owners...
Tell us what you think!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/vO1FAB/txzCAA/ySSFAA/DKgolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Next WASAN meeting is Wednesday, Aug 22, Safeco Jackson St. Center, 306 23rd Ave S @ S Main St, Suite 200, Seattle
7:00 PM WASAN business meeting
7:30 PM Program: "Fundamentals Doing Aid Work in Africa"
We usually meet the fourth Wednesday of the month. For a calendar of local Africa events see www.ibike.org/africamatters/calendar.htm .  To post a message: [log in to unmask]  To subscribe sending a message to [log in to unmask]  To unsubscribe send a message to [log in to unmask] . All past postings are archived at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wa-afr-network

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------