<p> As India plans to eliminate malaria by 2030, scientists found Plasmodium vivax parasite that causes almost 50% of India’s malaria burden has well adapted to anti-malarial drugs.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A global survey that sampled 182 clinical samples from 11 countries including India, noted the parasite’s evolution in response to anti-malarial drugs and adaptation to human host and mosquito vector. This will limit the efficacy of anti-malarial drugs in future.<br /><br />While malaria caused by P.vivax does not generally kill unlike the more virulent forms of malaria, it leads to intense morbidity leading to loss of income. <br /><br />In India, the major malaria burden comes from loss of earnings, affecting almost 75% of the victims while treatment cost another big economic burden.<br />“P. vivax is a global public health problem, not just a problem in India.<br /><br /> The fact that we found P. vivax has more genetic diversity than P. falciparum (that causes more virulent malaria) means the parasite is going to be likely more difficult to eradicate than P. vivax,” Jane Carlton from the New York University who led the study told DH.<br /><br />Earlier this year, the Union health ministry announced national framework for malaria elimination setting up a target of 2030 to eliminate the parasitic disease, which used to be a devastating disease for Indians. The first milestone is to bring down annual parasitic incidence less than one per 1000 population in state and district level by 2017.<br /><br />P. vivax that causes almost 16 million cases worldwide, however, will be a challenge and requires special strategy because of its rich genetic diversity. <br /><br />“The vivax species will require a different set of tools and control measures compared to the less diverse P. falciparum malaria,” she said.<br /><br />The genetic diversity means no single drug or vaccine could be effective against the majority of strains in any one area, much less against all P. vivax strains worldwide.<br /><br />India witnessed an increase in malaria in the last two years, recording 1.13 million cases both in 2014 and 2015 after the count dipped below the million mark in 2013. Almost 50% of these cases are of P.vivax.<br /><br />“Knowledge about genetic diversity of P. vivax will can help develop effective tools, that can help in malaria elimination,” said Neena Valecha, director of the National Institute of Malaria Research, Delhi that was involved with the study published in Nature Genetics last week.<br /><br /></p>
<p> As India plans to eliminate malaria by 2030, scientists found Plasmodium vivax parasite that causes almost 50% of India’s malaria burden has well adapted to anti-malarial drugs.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A global survey that sampled 182 clinical samples from 11 countries including India, noted the parasite’s evolution in response to anti-malarial drugs and adaptation to human host and mosquito vector. This will limit the efficacy of anti-malarial drugs in future.<br /><br />While malaria caused by P.vivax does not generally kill unlike the more virulent forms of malaria, it leads to intense morbidity leading to loss of income. <br /><br />In India, the major malaria burden comes from loss of earnings, affecting almost 75% of the victims while treatment cost another big economic burden.<br />“P. vivax is a global public health problem, not just a problem in India.<br /><br /> The fact that we found P. vivax has more genetic diversity than P. falciparum (that causes more virulent malaria) means the parasite is going to be likely more difficult to eradicate than P. vivax,” Jane Carlton from the New York University who led the study told DH.<br /><br />Earlier this year, the Union health ministry announced national framework for malaria elimination setting up a target of 2030 to eliminate the parasitic disease, which used to be a devastating disease for Indians. The first milestone is to bring down annual parasitic incidence less than one per 1000 population in state and district level by 2017.<br /><br />P. vivax that causes almost 16 million cases worldwide, however, will be a challenge and requires special strategy because of its rich genetic diversity. <br /><br />“The vivax species will require a different set of tools and control measures compared to the less diverse P. falciparum malaria,” she said.<br /><br />The genetic diversity means no single drug or vaccine could be effective against the majority of strains in any one area, much less against all P. vivax strains worldwide.<br /><br />India witnessed an increase in malaria in the last two years, recording 1.13 million cases both in 2014 and 2015 after the count dipped below the million mark in 2013. Almost 50% of these cases are of P.vivax.<br /><br />“Knowledge about genetic diversity of P. vivax will can help develop effective tools, that can help in malaria elimination,” said Neena Valecha, director of the National Institute of Malaria Research, Delhi that was involved with the study published in Nature Genetics last week.<br /><br /></p>
