Scientists at Sanaria use non-malaria carrying mosquitoes to develop their vaccine. They feed the insects blood containing the malaria parasite. They then use radiation to weaken the parasite, which is then harvested for the vaccine.
In an earlier study, the scientists at Sanaria used live mosquitoes to deliver the vaccine. Thirteen of fourteen volunteers were completely protected against malaria after receiving the vaccine. They also remained protected for at least ten months. Sanaria is now preparing to ask the United States Food and Drug Administration for approval to begin federal testing of the vaccine.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: For now, the main effort to control malaria involves treatment of bed nets and indoor living areas with insecticides -- products used to kill insects.
The World Health Organization says insecticide use has greatly reduced the number of malaria cases. The W.H.O. says insecticide-treated bed nets have been shown to reduce the number of malaria cases by fifty percent and the infection rate by ninety percent.
The United Nations agency released its World Malaria Report in December. The report said home ownership of insecticide-treated nets had reached fifty percent in thirteen of the thirty-five African countries with the highest cases of malaria. It also said more than one third of all countries at risk of malaria reported a drop in cases of more than fifty percent.
BOB DOUGHTY: Early identification and drug treatment of malaria can reduce the severity of the disease and prevent death. The anti-malarial drug Chloroquine was widely used until recent years when the malaria parasite became resistant to the drug. Now, the World Health Organization advises use of Artemisinin-based combination treatments, or ACTs, for malaria patients.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25