Malaria

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RobertT
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Re: Malaria

Post by RobertT »

Mozzie who bites RP will die of alcohol poisoning. O** O**


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Lisbeth
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Re: Malaria

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:ty: I'll try that lol


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Richprins
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Re: Malaria

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RobertT wrote: Fri Oct 26, 2018 2:05 pm Mozzie who bites RP will die of alcohol poisoning. O** O**
:O^


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Dzombo
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Re: Malaria

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RobertT wrote: Fri Oct 26, 2018 2:05 pm Mozzie who bites RP will die of alcohol poisoning.
Good idea!
I might try whisky as an anti-malerial next March 0-


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Lisbeth
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Re: Malaria

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Novel approach brings African scientists closer to a malaria vaccine

Malaria is still a major problem in Africa

by The Conversation 2018-11-08 10:30 in Health & Fitness, News

Image

Originally published by Faith Osier on The Conversation.

There are over 200 million clinical cases each year and approximately half a million deaths.

There are different ways in which malaria can be controlled. Preventive measures include use of insecticides in bed nets or indoor spraying programmes. Medicines can also be used to prevent or treat malaria, but resistance often develops and drugs lose their effectiveness.

The World Health Organisation reported that progress in controlling malaria has stalled.

As an immunologist, I dream that one day we will have an effective vaccine that will help eliminate malaria. I think this is possible because, for over a century, we have known that humans do become immune to malaria. In places where there are lots of malaria adults don’t succumb to the disease, but their young children do.

In experiments conducted over 50 years ago, researchers showed that blood could be taken from adults who had become immune and used to treat children admitted to hospital with malaria.

Antibodies in the blood were responsible for this effect; in other words, antibodies could treat malaria. Researchers have been trying to isolate the exact antibodies that do this. The challenge is that our bodies make millions of antibodies, so pulling out those with the antimalarial activity has been difficult.

One way to identify these “good” antibodies is to compare the blood samples of people who get malaria with those who don’t with the aim of identifying the differences. This type of research has been going on for about 30 years, but the results have been inconclusive.

Part of the reason is that in almost every study, the investigators do things differently.

It’s like cooking your favourite dish. You may have a particular recipe but if you check in with friends and ask how they prepare the very same dish, you will find that each of them does something slightly different. In the same way, differences in the way scientists have conducted their experiments have contributed to a lack of clarity in the results.

We’ve embarked on a project that breaks this cycle.

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Scientists analysing data at the South-South Malaria Research Partnership project laboratory in Kenya. Image credit Flora Mutere-Okuku

The project

In experiments conducted over 50 years ago, researchers showed that blood could be taken from adults who had become immune and used to treat children admitted to hospital with malaria.

We used the latest technology to analyse our samples. We designed a small glass slide on which we stuck over 100 carefully selected proteins from the malaria parasite. With less than a drop of blood, we were able to simultaneously measure antibodies to all these proteins.

This was a major step-change. When I started this research 14 years ago, I used to measure antibodies to one parasite protein at a time, using a lot more blood, and in samples from one area in Kenya.

Developments in technology now mean that it’s possible to do this much more efficiently. And we’re really excited that we have been able to exploit these new innovations in Africa.

My team analysed antibodies in over 10,000 samples in three months. We are now working through the statistical analysis of this data to understand how people who are immune to malaria do it.

My team is also working on understanding how antibodies kill malaria parasites. It’s still unclear if the antibodies attack the parasite from different angles or whether different antibodies are synergistic in their actions.

We also don’t know how much antibody is necessary.

What we know

So far, our studies suggest that having a bit of one antibody is not good enough, and we may need high concentrations of antibodies against combinations of parasite proteins.

We are also learning that antibodies kill parasites in many ways and that studying any one of these in isolation may not adequately reflect reality.

I believe the key to making a better malaria vaccine is right here with us. With patience, perseverance and continued hard work, we will find the recipe required to make a really good malaria vaccine.

The Conversation Faith Osier, Immunologist , Wellcome Trust


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Lisbeth
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Re: Malaria

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[ANALYSIS] SA INVESTIGATES STERILISING MOSQUITOES IN ANTI-MALARIA DRIVE

08.11.2018

South Africa is one of four southern African countries aiming to eliminate malaria transmission by 2023. Indoor residual spraying using DDT and pyrethroid insecticides constitutes the backbone of South Africa’s malaria control programmes.

Effective vector control by indoor residual spraying has been key in the reduction of malaria cases. This was instrumental in creating malaria-free zones in most parts of the country. Malaria transmission is now limited to the north-eastern parts of Limpopo province, the low-veld areas of Mpumalanga province and the far northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal province.

Despite a concerted effort to eliminate malaria in these provinces, transmission has remained steady over the past decade.

Failure to eliminate malaria transmission is attributed, in part, to resistance to the insecticides being used. Added to this is the challenge of controlling the outdoor-biting Anopheles arabiensis population that’s largely considered responsible for most malaria transmission in the country.

Indoor spraying isn’t completely effective against this mosquito because it mainly targets indoor biting and resting mosquitoes. This strategy is not adequate against vectors that sometimes feed and rest outdoors, such as An. arabiensis.

Other, complementary vector control strategies are needed to eliminate the disease. These must be able to control outdoor feeding and resting mosquito populations.

One possible approach is a technique that involves sterilising the insects. The technology is currently being assessed in South Africa. The technique involves a genetic birth control method in which laboratory mass-produced sterile male insects are released into the wild at a ratio that effectively inundates a target population. This forces most females to mate with sterile males, substantially reducing their fecundity, and resulting in population suppression.

The sterile insect technique has been piloted against mosquito vectors of the Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue viruses, but has never been used for malaria control efforts. The South African sterile insect technique initiative together with a similar trial in Sudan are a first for African malaria vectors.

Preparations for the South African project are at an advanced stage. A pilot mass-rearing facility has been built and the size of the natural mosquito population has been estimated. In addition, a local community has been drawn into preparations and is now ready for a trial run. All these steps pave the way for a pilot demonstration.

THE PROJECT

The sterile insect technique has been applied successfully against other insect pests including the fruit fly and the new-world screwworm fly. In South Africa this technology is routinely used in Citrusdal, Western Cape to control the false codling moth.

The project involving An. arabiensis aims to show that the sterile insect technique can be successfully used to suppress mosquito populations that carry and spread malaria. If it works, the approach can be used as an alternative vector control method to complement existing strategies.

The project is being implemented in three phases.

Phase 1 included trials showed that sterilised An. arabiensis males mass-reared under laboratory conditions can compete with fertile males for mates. This milestone informed phase II of the project which is currently underway.

This phase aims to test the feasibility of the sterile insect technique through a small-scale pilot field demonstration in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Research activities for phase II are in progress. The biggest development here is the building of Africa’s first pilot mosquito mass-rearing facility.

The sterile insect technique relies heavily on inundating the wild population with sterilised male insects. For this to succeed, it’s important to know the size of the wild mosquito population as this will determine how many laboratory-reared sterilised males would need to be released.

To estimate mosquito population numbers, a mark-release-recapture method was used. About 30,000 yellow and orange-dusted laboratory-reared males sharing the same genetic background as the wild population were released over two release periods. Some of these mosquitoes were recaptured together with wild mosquitoes and a formula was used to estimate the wild population size.

Interestingly, marked males were recaptured in swarms of wild males. This indicates that the laboratory-reared males were able to locate and participate in mating swarms – a crucial step for the potential success of the sterile insect technique.

NEXT STEPS

The eventual rollout of the pilot trial will require successful mass rearing of competitive sterile males and a technique to separate males from female insects. Work on optimising mass production of quality sterile male and a system to separate males from females are at an advanced stage.

In addition, it’s critical to get the community involved and addressing any social issues so that people cooperate and participate. This is particularly important because the sterile insect technique can be seen as increasing the numbers of mosquitoes in an area after the release of the sterile males. A malaria awareness campaign has already been conducted. Information on malaria transmission and control – including the potential of using the sterile insect technique – was shared through radio interviews, brochures, road shows and lectures in isiZulu.

Givemore Munhenga is a senior medical scientist, National Institute for Communicable Diseases.


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Re: Malaria

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Travelling Africa soon? Where you need to watch out for malaria

2018-11-19 09:51

"If you leave it, then you've got a problem.”

I recently spoke to a general manager at a luxury safari lodge I stayed at close to Hoedspruit in Limpopo about malaria in the area. Close to the Kruger National Park and near the Mozambique border, this area currently has a low risk of malaria, yet taking provisions are still recommended. .........

(Click on the title to read it all)


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Lisbeth
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Re: Malaria

Post by Lisbeth »

I had decided not to take Malarone this time around and only use repellents, but after having read the whole topic, I have changed my mind. After having read Dzombo's post re a generic product of Malarone I took a round on the internet and then I called my pharmacy. Yes, there is now a generic product of Malarone called Atovaquone/Proguanil and it is much cheaper of course (even if for more than a month it becomes a hefty sum) and it might even be refunded by the health insurance O/\ O/\


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Richprins
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Re: Malaria

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:yes:

Good, Lis!

As said, the Eurodoctors will not look for malaria if you come home and get sick? -O-

If you have side effects, rather leave it and tell the doctor if you get sick back home! ..0..


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Lisbeth
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Re: Malaria

Post by Lisbeth »

My doctor will and if he doesn't I'll tell him :twisted:

I took Malarone back in 2008 and I was fine; the generic should be the same ........even if I am not ;-)


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