In the News: Mixed Strain Malaria Infections

Malaria is caused by 5 species of parasite that is carried by over 30 different species of mosquitoes. This makes for some major complications. "We found that when hosts are co-infected with drug-resistant and drug-sensitive strains, both strains are competitively suppressed," said Mary Bushman. "Anti-malarial therapy, by clearing drug-sensitive parasites from mixed infections, may result in competitive release of resistant strains." Read the article from Emory Health Sciences here.

Mosquitoes feed often, exposing them to a variety of strains of the malaria infection.

Inborn Immunity to Malaria: Sickle-Cell Anemia

Nature has devised a fascinating defense against malaria. It involves altering the very shape of the body's red blood cells (RBC). Sickle cell anemia is a disorder that changes the shape of RBC, as shown in the picture below, due to a mutation in the genetic code that is responsible for the formation of the beta-subunit portion of a hemoglobin molecule. As a result, the RBC will take a rigid sickled-shape. This leads to two important consequences: 1) malaria immunity and 2) organ damage and anemia symptoms.

Normal RBC compared with a sickle shaped one.

A mutation in the genetic code for hemoglobin causes sickle-cell anemia.
The mutation codes for a valine rather than a glutamic acid to be produced.

Rise in Immunity Spurs International Concern

"Malaria is still a devastating disease, with nearly 250 million cases and more than one million deaths every year. Mosquitoes have developed resistance to existing insecticides and there is evidence of emerging resistance by the parasite to the drugs used to treat the disease.”-Professor Steve Ward, Deputy Director, of LSTM reports