Malaria http://www.npr.org Malaria en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Thu, 16 May 2013 11:48:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Malaria http://www.npr.org Human Scent Is Even Sweeter For Malaria Mosquitoes Scientists used a Dutch woman's dirty stocking to learn that mosquitoes infected with malaria find humans hard to resist. Like a fungus that turns ants into zombies, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the mosquitoes for its own benefit. Thu, 16 May 2013 11:48:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/15/184251627/humans-scent-is-even-sweeter-for-malaria-mosquitoes?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/15/184251627/humans-scent-is-even-sweeter-for-malaria-mosquitoes?ft=1&f=132050182 Scientists used a Dutch woman's dirty stocking to learn that mosquitoes infected with malaria find humans hard to resist. Like a fungus that turns ants into zombies, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the mosquitoes for its own benefit.

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]]> Using Bacteria To Swat Malaria Inside Mosquitoes Infecting mosquitoes with a specific type of bacteria makes the insects resistant to malaria. Now scientists have figured out how to get the mosquitoes to pass the infections on to their offspring. If it can done reliably, it might help interrupt transmission of malaria to humans. Thu, 09 May 2013 14:13:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/08/182339563/using-bacteria-to-swat-malaria-inside-mosquitoes?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/08/182339563/using-bacteria-to-swat-malaria-inside-mosquitoes?ft=1&f=132050182 Infecting mosquitoes with a specific type of bacteria makes the insects resistant to malaria. Now scientists have figured out how to get the mosquitoes to pass the infections on to their offspring. If it can done reliably, it might help interrupt transmission of malaria to humans.

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]]> A New Way To Make The Most Powerful Malaria Drug The relatively scarce "sweet wormwood" plant has long been the only source of the herbal drug artemisinin. A new trick for making artemisinin in the lab should help even out supplies around the world, scientists say, and cut the cost of malaria treatment. Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:05:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/10/176807016/a-new-way-to-make-the-most-powerful-malaria-drug?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/10/176807016/a-new-way-to-make-the-most-powerful-malaria-drug?ft=1&f=132050182 The relatively scarce "sweet wormwood" plant has long been the only source of the herbal drug artemisinin. A new trick for making artemisinin in the lab should help even out supplies around the world, scientists say, and cut the cost of malaria treatment.

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]]> Mosquito Maven Takes Bites For Malaria Research A scientist in Thailand raises mosquito colonies so she can study a new malaria drug. The insects are quite spoiled — they'll eat only live human blood. So she feeds them "breakfast" each day from her right arm. Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:48:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/01/02/167048030/mosquito-maven-takes-bites-for-malaria-research?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/01/02/167048030/mosquito-maven-takes-bites-for-malaria-research?ft=1&f=132050182 A scientist in Thailand raises mosquito colonies so she can study a new malaria drug. The insects are quite spoiled — they'll eat only live human blood. So she feeds them "breakfast" each day from her right arm.

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]]> As Biodiversity Declines, Tropical Diseases Thrive Researchers argue that ecology has a pretty big say in whether disease rates increase or die down. They used a new field that blends economics and ecology called "macroecology" to figure out how biodiversity loss affected disease burden. Sat, 29 Dec 2012 07:42:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/29/168210441/as-biodiversity-declines-tropical-diseases-thrive?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/29/168210441/as-biodiversity-declines-tropical-diseases-thrive?ft=1&f=132050182 Researchers argue that ecology has a pretty big say in whether disease rates increase or die down. They used a new field that blends economics and ecology called "macroecology" to figure out how biodiversity loss affected disease burden.

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]]> Elixirs Made To Fight Malaria Still Shine On The Modern Bar Many modern day liqueurs, like Campari and Pimm's, started off as 19th century medicinal tonics made to cure an array of ailments, including malaria. So if you're sipping a French aperitif or an absinth cocktail this holiday season, chances are you're also imbibing a bit of malaria history. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:44:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/12/17/167488498/elixirs-made-to-fight-malaria-still-shine-on-the-modern-bar?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/12/17/167488498/elixirs-made-to-fight-malaria-still-shine-on-the-modern-bar?ft=1&f=132050182 Many modern day liqueurs, like Campari and Pimm's, started off as 19th century medicinal tonics made to cure an array of ailments, including malaria. So if you're sipping a French aperitif or an absinth cocktail this holiday season, chances are you're also imbibing a bit of malaria history.

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]]> How The U.S. Stopped Malaria, One Cartoon At A Time With publicity campaigns, radio jingles and pinups, the government helped eliminate the parasitic disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still fighting malaria at home and abroad. Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:35:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/19/167470936/how-the-u-s-stopped-malaria-one-cartoon-at-a-time?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/19/167470936/how-the-u-s-stopped-malaria-one-cartoon-at-a-time?ft=1&f=132050182 With publicity campaigns, radio jingles and pinups, the government helped eliminate the parasitic disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still fighting malaria at home and abroad.

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]]> Fake Malaria Drugs Fuel Rise Of Drug-Resistant Disease Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia are awash with shoddy and phony malaria drugs. Some fakes are almost indistinguishable from authentic drugs. The counterfeits can be deadly for patients, but they also threaten to undermine major weapons against the disease. Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:48:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/20/167282184/fake-malaria-drugs-fuel-rise-of-drug-resistant-disease?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/20/167282184/fake-malaria-drugs-fuel-rise-of-drug-resistant-disease?ft=1&f=132050182 Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia are awash with shoddy and phony malaria drugs. Some fakes are almost indistinguishable from authentic drugs. The counterfeits can be deadly for patients, but they also threaten to undermine major weapons against the disease.

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]]> A View From The Ground: Thailand Confronts Drug-Resistant Malaria Global deaths from malaria have dropped sharply in the past decade, thanks in part to powerful drugs called artemisinins. But on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, doctors are starting to see cracks in artemisinin's armor. The medicine is working more slowly, and sometimes not at all. Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:34:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/20/167440130/a-view-from-the-ground-thailand-battles-drug-resistant-malaria?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/20/167440130/a-view-from-the-ground-thailand-battles-drug-resistant-malaria?ft=1&f=132050182 Global deaths from malaria have dropped sharply in the past decade, thanks in part to powerful drugs called artemisinins. But on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, doctors are starting to see cracks in artemisinin's armor. The medicine is working more slowly, and sometimes not at all.

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]]> Herbs And Empires: A Brief, Animated History Of Malaria Drugs Gin, Jesuit priests, communist bravado — the history of malaria is littered with strange bedfellows, as our video shows. The parasite has proved to be a wily foe, frustrating human efforts to control it time and time again. Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:53:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/13/167188333/herbs-and-empires-a-brief-animated-history-of-malaria-drugs?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/13/167188333/herbs-and-empires-a-brief-animated-history-of-malaria-drugs?ft=1&f=132050182 Gin, Jesuit priests, communist bravado — the history of malaria is littered with strange bedfellows, as our video shows. The parasite has proved to be a wily foe, frustrating human efforts to control it time and time again.

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]]> Global Fund Moves To Discontinue Project Subsidizing Malaria Drugs After months of debate, the Global Fund announced plans to wind down a controversial pilot project that subsidizes malaria drugs in Africa. Some health workers in the U.S. fault the decision, saying it doesn't address the major challenges of treating malaria in poor countries. Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:58:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/15/165231445/global-fund-moves-to-discontinue-project-subsidizing-malaria-drugs?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/15/165231445/global-fund-moves-to-discontinue-project-subsidizing-malaria-drugs?ft=1&f=132050182 After months of debate, the Global Fund announced plans to wind down a controversial pilot project that subsidizes malaria drugs in Africa. Some health workers in the U.S. fault the decision, saying it doesn't address the major challenges of treating malaria in poor countries.

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]]> Signs Of Drug-Resistant Malaria Emerge In Vietnam And Myanmar Southeast Asia is a hot spot for drug-resistant malaria. In the past few years, parasites in two regions have become less responsive to the last, best drug we have against malaria. Researchers report that this new type of drug resistance may be spreading to Vietnam and central Myanmar. Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:27:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/14/165101910/signs-of-drug-resistant-malaria-emerge-in-vietnam-and-myanmar?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/14/165101910/signs-of-drug-resistant-malaria-emerge-in-vietnam-and-myanmar?ft=1&f=132050182 Southeast Asia is a hot spot for drug-resistant malaria. In the past few years, parasites in two regions have become less responsive to the last, best drug we have against malaria. Researchers report that this new type of drug resistance may be spreading to Vietnam and central Myanmar.

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]]> Malaria-Like Disease Follows Lyme's Path In New England Although Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in New England, researchers find that babesiosis, a disease that mimics malaria, is catching up. The swelling population of white-tailed deer and the ticks that feed on their blood may be why. Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:38:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164947047/malaria-like-disease-follows-lymes-path-in-new-england?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164947047/malaria-like-disease-follows-lymes-path-in-new-england?ft=1&f=132050182 Although Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in New England, researchers find that babesiosis, a disease that mimics malaria, is catching up. The swelling population of white-tailed deer and the ticks that feed on their blood may be why.

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]]> Experimental Malaria Vaccine Disappoints, But Work Continues An experimental vaccine for malaria reduces infants' risk of the disease by about a third. That's less than researchers had hoped for, given the vaccine's effectiveness in toddlers, but doctors say it's enough to prevent many high fevers, seizures and deaths in a lot of African children. Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:19:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/09/164730355/malaria-vaccine-results-disappointing-but-not-the-end-of-the-story?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/09/164730355/malaria-vaccine-results-disappointing-but-not-the-end-of-the-story?ft=1&f=132050182 An experimental vaccine for malaria reduces infants' risk of the disease by about a third. That's less than researchers had hoped for, given the vaccine's effectiveness in toddlers, but doctors say it's enough to prevent many high fevers, seizures and deaths in a lot of African children.

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]]> Stakes Rise In Malaria Battle As Cracks Appear In Drug's Armor At health clinics along the Thai-Myanmar border, malaria is getting tougher to treat as resistance to medication grows. Doctors say it may be time to focus on eradicating malaria before the drugs lose potency. Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:18:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/09/164712206/stakes-rise-in-malaria-battle-as-cracks-appear-in-drugs-armor?ft=1&f=132050182 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/09/164712206/stakes-rise-in-malaria-battle-as-cracks-appear-in-drugs-armor?ft=1&f=132050182 At health clinics along the Thai-Myanmar border, malaria is getting tougher to treat as resistance to medication grows. Doctors say it may be time to focus on eradicating malaria before the drugs lose potency.

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