A new malaria transmitting mosquito found in Bigege ViIlage, Kisii
Central District, could complicate the fight against the disease if it is found
to be widely distributed.
Scientists from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine discovered the new type of mosquito that stays outdoors and
bites soon after sunset.
The known malaria transmitting mosquitoes prefer the indoors and feed on human blood after 10 pm, when most people are asleep.
"These unidentified mosquitoes are potentially dangerous because they are outdoor-active and early-biting and may evade the current indoor-based interventions (treated bed nets and insecticides) to control mosquitoes, says Jennifer Stevenson in a statement.
The team, which included PhD students of the Kemri centre in Kisumu, said most of the insects they trapped - including those infected with malaria - did not physically resemble other known mosquitoes.
The researchers named them species A, because they do not know exactly what they are, but only that they came out to feed much earlier before villagers went indoors.
This mosquito, says Dr Andrew Githeko, a senior malaria researcher with Kemri, could complicate the fight against the disease.
He says the new species, coupled with recent findings which show the ordinary mosquito is also changing its feeding habits and preferring an earlier meal before people go under bed nets, may require new control tools.
The setback comes barely a week after the leading malaria drug maker Novartis of Switzerland announced a new breakthrough in malaria treatment.
Dr Linus Igwemezie of Novartis said a drug that would be able to treat resistant malaria strains would be in the market soon.
Resistance to the highly effective malaria treatment, called Artemisinin Combination Therapy, has been reported in parts of. Asia with fears that it could be headed to Africa.
’’One reason for the emergence of drug-resistant strains is non-completion of treatment, sometimes because of the many tablets," says Dr Igwemezie.
The proposed treatment, now undergoing human trials, could see a single pill to replace the current 24-tablet regimen taken over a three-day period.
Medical researchers say it is only a matter of time before resistance strains develop in Africa, which has the highest burden of malaria in the world. Public Health minister.
The known malaria transmitting mosquitoes prefer the indoors and feed on human blood after 10 pm, when most people are asleep.
"These unidentified mosquitoes are potentially dangerous because they are outdoor-active and early-biting and may evade the current indoor-based interventions (treated bed nets and insecticides) to control mosquitoes, says Jennifer Stevenson in a statement.
The team, which included PhD students of the Kemri centre in Kisumu, said most of the insects they trapped - including those infected with malaria - did not physically resemble other known mosquitoes.
The researchers named them species A, because they do not know exactly what they are, but only that they came out to feed much earlier before villagers went indoors.
This mosquito, says Dr Andrew Githeko, a senior malaria researcher with Kemri, could complicate the fight against the disease.
He says the new species, coupled with recent findings which show the ordinary mosquito is also changing its feeding habits and preferring an earlier meal before people go under bed nets, may require new control tools.
The setback comes barely a week after the leading malaria drug maker Novartis of Switzerland announced a new breakthrough in malaria treatment.
Dr Linus Igwemezie of Novartis said a drug that would be able to treat resistant malaria strains would be in the market soon.
Resistance to the highly effective malaria treatment, called Artemisinin Combination Therapy, has been reported in parts of. Asia with fears that it could be headed to Africa.
’’One reason for the emergence of drug-resistant strains is non-completion of treatment, sometimes because of the many tablets," says Dr Igwemezie.
The proposed treatment, now undergoing human trials, could see a single pill to replace the current 24-tablet regimen taken over a three-day period.
Medical researchers say it is only a matter of time before resistance strains develop in Africa, which has the highest burden of malaria in the world. Public Health minister.
Br Beppe
Source
DAILY NATION. NAIROBI.
SEPTEMBER 2012
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