This was revealed by a British study, which urges "radical action" to prevent further spread. The parasites do not respond to artemisinins, the most powerful active ingredient used in treatment. The area most at risk is at the border between Cambodia and Thailand.

Bangkok (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A new form of drug-resistant malaria is spreading in Southeast Asia and has reached the border between Cambodia and Thailand. This was revealed by a team of British researchers in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and warns of the need for "radical action" to prevent further transmission of these parasites.

The study analyzed blood samples from more than 1,000 malaria patients from 10 countries across Asia and Africa. Evidence of drug resistance were not found in the three selected sites in Africa: Kenya, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In contrast, the researchers found that in Thailand, Vietnam, east Myanmar and north-west Cambodia the malaria parasite has developed resistance to artemisinins, a very powerful active ingredient used in the fight against the disease.

Early signs of resistance were also recorded in south Laos, in northeast Cambodia and in central areas of Burma.

The Thai-cambodian border area is of particular concern, where in the past there had been cases of resistance to antimalarial drugs.

 

• asia
• malaria
• parasites
• drug
• resistent
• thailand
• cambodia