From The Guardian: Scientists sound warning note over malaria drug resistance in Africa

[abqtommy]

Resistance to malaria drugs in Africa may be starting to take hold, according to a study that maps changes similar to those seen a decade ago when drug resistance spread in south-east Asia.

In Cambodia and neighbouring countries, the artemisinin drug compounds widely used against malaria are no longer always effective. The falciparum malaria parasites have developed genetic mutations that allow them to evade the drugs. There has been great concern that drug resistance could spread to Africa, which has the highest burden of cases of this type of malaria – and the highest toll of child deaths from it.

A study in Rwanda, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Wednesday, shows that the feared erosion of efficacy of the malaria drugs may have begun. As happened in south-east Asia, researchers have found that giving a child a course of artemisinin compound drugs does not always clear the malaria parasites from their blood in three days, as it should.

Artemisinins, introduced in the early 2000s from China, are given in combination with a different type of malaria drug to ensure all parasites are cleared and the efficacy of the drugs is not compromised. The most common combination is artemether-lumefantrine, which Rwanda began to use in 2006.

more text and photo at link

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/apr/15/africa-on-the-verge-of-resistance-to-key-malaria-drugs-rwanda-study-warns

[Buns_of_Fire]

1. And when I heard "malaria", the first thing that came to mind was

"Hydroxychloroquine", oddly enough.

Hydroxychloroquine is not recommended for coronavirus infection, also known as COVID-19, unless you are enrolled in a study. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-5482/hydroxychloroquine-oral/details

[abqtommy]

2. What I found interesting in this article is that 'chloroquine' phosphate was referred to

only once and hydrochloroquine phosphate was not even mentioned. I did a lot of
research on these malaria treatments and of course they are not effective in treating
covid-19. Just like using bleach internally. People who believe what former guy and
others like him say will die.

The original op here concerns malaria and malaria treatment. No reference in it concerns
treatment for covid-19

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. You're right, of course. It was just a cross-connection that occurred to me.

Heck, I even remember when malaria treatments were just referred to as "quinine" without any modifiers. A few too many Tarzan movies, I guess.

[abqtommy]

4. I can appreciate free-association.