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Rates of childhood malaria have trebled over past 25 years in southwest London
May 20, 2002Rates of childhood malaria have trebled over the past 25 years, shows research in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Over 500 million people worldwide contract malaria, more than 2.5 million of whom will die as a result. Around 300 cases of childhood malaria are reported every year in the UK.
Between 1975 and 1979 malaria was diagnosed in 249 children at one major London teaching hospital. Over half were UK residents, of whom more than one in three had been born in the UK; 22 per cent were newly arrived immigrants. The remainder were children travelling to the UK.
Between 1975 and 1979 there were just under five cases a year. But this had risen to just under 14 cases a year between 1990 and 1999. The type of malaria most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (Plasmodium falciparum) accounted for over three quarters of the total cases seen, and most of those in the 1990s. One in six cases had been acquired in the Indian subcontinent.
Only four out of 10 of the UK residents had taken any preventive treatment, largely because their parents assumed they would be immune, even though they had been born and raised in England.
And only 3 per cent continued to take their anti-malarial treatment once they had returned to the UK. But the authors point out that childhood malarial preventive treatments taste awful, which might have some bearing on children’s willingness to take them.
On average, it took seven days before the children were diagnosed, a pattern that remained steady over the entire period. This is of some concern, say the authors, because children are especially vulnerable to P falciparum malaria. As yet no children have died, but the authors point out that of the adults dying of malaria in the UK, most had not taken any preventive treatment.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Between 1975 and 1979 there were just under five cases a year. But this had risen to just under 14 cases a year between 1990 and 1999. The type of malaria most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (Plasmodium falciparum) accounted for over three quarters of the total cases seen, and most of those in the 1990s. One in six cases had been acquired in the Indian subcontinent.
Only four out of 10 of the UK residents had taken any preventive treatment, largely because their parents assumed they would be immune, even though they had been born and raised in England.
And only 3 per cent continued to take their anti-malarial treatment once they had returned to the UK. But the authors point out that childhood malarial preventive treatments taste awful, which might have some bearing on children’s willingness to take them.
On average, it took seven days before the children were diagnosed, a pattern that remained steady over the entire period. This is of some concern, say the authors, because children are especially vulnerable to P falciparum malaria. As yet no children have died, but the authors point out that of the adults dying of malaria in the UK, most had not taken any preventive treatment.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Malaria Current Events and Malaria News RSSStopping germs from ganging up on humans
Keeping germs from cooperating can delay the evolution of drug resistance more effectively than killing germs one by one with traditional drugs such as antibiotics, according to new research from The University of Arizona in Tucson.
Applying 'supply and demand' business principles to treat infectious diseases worldwide
Treating infectious diseases while meeting escalating costs to do so continues to pose worldwide challenges, with one of the main issues being the ability to provide an adequate supply of drugs to treat infectious diseases.
'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US
In a global world, significant factors affect the spread of infectious diseases, including international trade, air travel and globalized food production. "Airport malaria" is a term coined by researchers to explain the more recent spread of malaria to areas such as the United States and Europe, which some scientists credit to warmer climate changes.
Dramatic fall in malaria in the Gambia raises possibility of elimination in parts of Africa
The incidence of malaria has fallen significantly in The Gambia in the last 5 years, according to a study carried out by experts there with support from scientists based in London.
Researchers characterize potential protein targets for malaria vaccine
Researchers from Nijmegen and Leiden have now characterized a large number of parasite proteins that may prove useful in the development of a human malaria vaccine.
Geisinger research: Antimalarial drug prevents diabetes in arthritis patients
The use of an antimalarial medication may prevent the onset of diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, new Geisinger research shows.
Neighborhood greenness has long term positive impact on kids' health
In the first study to look at the effect of neighborhood greenness on inner city children's weight over time, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Washington report that higher neighborhood greenness is associated with slower increases in children's body mass over a two year period, regardless of residential density.
Childhood environmental health
Children are exposed to a wide range of environmental threats that can affect their health and development early in life, throughout their youth and into adulthood.
Researchers estimate lives lost due to delay in antiretroviral drug use for HIV/AIDS in South Africa
More than 330,000 lives were lost to HIV/AIDS in South Africa from 2000 and 2005 because a feasible and timely antiretroviral (ARV) treatment program was not implemented, assert researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in a study published online by the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) (http://www.jaids.com/).
Governments urged to fight global child killer
Pneumococcal disease, one of the world's leading causes of death and serious illness, must be recognised as an urgent global health issue together with HIV, malaria and TB, say the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in the Developing World in a report launching at the House of Lords today.
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