Malaria killed more than dengue, chikungunya

Malaria turns out to be the biggest killer among all mosquito-borne diseases in Delhi this year. According to the latest municipal corporation report, the disease, which seems to be on the wane in the city, has claimed 17 lives this season. While dengue has caused six deaths, no deaths have been attributed to chikungunya, which took to epidemic proportions affecting over 10,000 people. The malaria toll is significant because, according to data collated under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Delhi has not witnessed a single death from the…

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Breakthrough malaria drug likely by ’18

Breakthrough malaria drug likely by ’18 (Getty Images) Contrary to the perception that drug research is mostly focused around the diseases of the elite, the antimalarial drug pipeline has increased nearly three-fold since 2008, with at least three new medicines expected to be launched in two to five years. India, where a lot of clinical trials have already begun, is likely to get a breakthrough anti-malarial drug Tafenoquine by 2018. The drug, a one-day-two-dose treatment, has already entered phase-three trials and once approved will replace the current 14-day treatment for…

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Expert Views: How can the World Outpace Resistance to Eradicate Malaria by 2040?

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a global health and education charity set up by the Microsoft founder and his wife, has set a target of eradicating malaria by 2040. Yet efforts to end the deadly disease are under threat as mosquitoes become increasingly resistant to drugs and insecticides. To outpace rising resistance, the scientific community in the Gates’ home city of Seattle is developing innovations ranging from genetic modification to single-dose drugs. Here are the views of some of the world’s leading organizations that are working to eradicate malaria.…

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Altering ‘Flavour’ of Humans Can Tackle Malaria

A specialised area of the mosquito brain mixes tastes with smells to create unique flavours, scientists have revealed, suggesting the development of a powerful odourant that can make “human flavour” repulsive to malaria-bearing species. Instead of feasting on us, the mosquitoes can then keep the disease to themselves, potentially saving an estimated 450,000 lives a year worldwide, said the team from Johns Hopkins University. “All mosquitoes, including the one that transmits malaria, use their sense of smell to find a host for a blood meal. Our goal is to let…

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Malignant malaria claims first life, dengue rages on

At a time when the state is battling to tackle dengue menace, a teenager, who was diagnosed with malignant malaria, died in a private nursing home in Howrah on Monday. This is the first malignant malaria death reported from Kolkata’s suburbs this season. Dengue has already claimed 18 lives in and around Kolkata. The Howrah girl’s mother and brother, also suffering from malignant malaria, are still critical. Parveen Khatoon (16) died in a private nursing home at Howrah’s Baltikuri area. The area falls under Howrah Municipal Corporation’s ward No. 47.…

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Mosquito Traps Laced With Human Scent Help Fight Malaria

Dutch and Kenyan scientists have designed a unique mosquito trap which uses human odour to attract the malaria-carrying insects, helping cut the number of cases dramatically, researchers said Wednesday.A three-year study in Kenya found the special traps baited with synthetic smell helped to catch 70 percent of the local malaria mosquito population, and led to a 30 percent drop in cases in households using the devices. Published Wednesday in The Lancet, the research was carried out on the Kenyan island of Rusinga with the participation of all 25,000 residents. “The…

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