Effective Vaccine For Malaria 24
PeterM from Berkeley writes "According to
this news story, researchers may have finally developed a vaccine effective against malaria. Malaria kills 1 million people per year and sickens about 300 million, and is one of the big reasons the 3rd world is a mess. And as a bonus, it may be that the same vaccine may also protect against smallpox."
Go Humans! (Score:2)
Malaria in the third world (Score:3, Interesting)
Why is it unheard of here, yet so rife in 3rd world countries? Do we have ways of prevention? I heard about an asian country trying to kill off their mosquito population to try eradicate this.
If I remember correctly it was DDT or something similar used in Europe to kill off the anopheles mosquito that causes malaria.
And finally, how long is it before the disease evolves to be resistant to this vaccine? We know this is the case with me any other so called "cures".
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:5, Informative)
I saw a show the other day about mosquitoes in Florida. Florida spends 2-3 billion dollars from my recollection to combat mosquitoes. I doubt most 3rd worlds countries can afford this much.
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:5, Informative)
It doesn't help that the areas of the world where the disease is endemic tend to be places where there is no history of a robust public health infrastructure (Brazil, West Africa, Southeast Asia). There were widespread spraying programs throughout the '60s that cut the rate of infection dramatically, but there's no political will -- nor, to be fair, sufficient resources -- to keep the program going. Uganda (or possibly Kenya, I forget) has been very successful with the simplest of malaria control measures: insecticide-treated mosquito nets, which cut infection rates dramatically.
Malaria is so brutal because it not only kills, but also debilitates an additional 500,000,000 people a year, who can't do anything -- can't work, can't care for children or sick family, anything. It's not for nothing that malaria is increasingly being viewed as an issue not just of public health, but also of economic development.
A fair argument could even be made that malaria (in addition to schistosomiasis and trypanosomiasis) basically prevented the formation of cities beyond a certain population density. Check out William MacNeill's Plagues And Peoples for an excellent treatment of the impact of disease on human cultural development.
'jfb
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:1)
I would love to see something to back this up. 500 Million? We are talking about 5% - 7% of the world. I am really doubtful this is true.
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:4, Informative)
"every year malaria kills more than two million people and infects and debilitates around 500 million."
http://www.wehi.edu.au/news/press/19mar2003.htm
There are a few other sources coming up with similar figures... 300 - 500 million infected and 1 - 3 million dying per annum.
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:3)
'jfb
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:1)
Re:Malaria in the third world (Score:3, Insightful)
France was a cesspool from run off from the alps before engineers practically terraformed their country and drained all the swamps (Thus was invented the French Drain).
The U.S. had similar operations. They also used a massive campaign of DDT which had trucks crossing the countryside covering everything in DDT. (I have heard stories of kids chasing the trucks around to play in the fog sprayed from them.)
It takes a
I'll believe it when I see it... (Score:5, Informative)
Also, calling anything based on the vaccinia virus "safe" in such a blanket fashion is vast overkill. Unlike most vaccines, vaccinia-based ones are live virus and cause severe complications if they get into the bloodstream--rather like the difference between cutaneous anthrax and pulmonary anthrax. Check out the CDC [cdc.gov] for just how nasty vaccinia can get if it escapes the vaccination site.
From the Nando Times article (Score:3, Informative)
MVA is also being used in trials in Africa in an effort to boost the immune response to AIDS.
The MVA (smallpox) vaccine is much safer, although less effective against smallpox. But its main purpose in this case is to boost the immune system, especially in fighting malaria. Sounds promising, especially given the low cost and safety.
As someone who's taken malaria pills... (Score:3, Insightful)
"Your vaccine is not welcome!"
Re:As someone who's taken malaria pills... (Score:2)
I too suffered horrendous nightmares and sleep disturbances for a month when I took a course of malaria tablets. It left me feeling totally drained and fed up during the daytime and apprehensive as hell about going to bed, because I knew what a rough ride the night would be.
But then I figure, what's a month's sleep disturbance compared to a recurring parasitic infection that can wreck your whole life?
I s
Re:As someone who's taken malaria pills... (Score:2)
You seemed to have missed the point of my previous comment.
Malaria pills are notorious for having widely different side effects depending on the person taking them. Whereas some people experience horrendous nightmares like you did, other's (like me
Re:As someone who's taken malaria pills... (Score:2)
I guess I was so fed up after my experience that I applied my own little message-interpreation-filter to what you wrote.
Happy malarial-zone travel
Re:As someone who's taken malaria pills... (Score:2)
Re:As someone who's taken malaria pills... (Score:2)
The Statue of Liberty lays an egg and then has to defend it against King Kong in a parking lot, but then they both kind of morph into sort of African tribal sculptures, and then there's a bunch of cartoon cells and viruses swirling around...
change the header (Score:2)