Recently identified multidrug-resistant malarial parasite threatens to spread through India to other parts of the world. The study suggests that this multidrug-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum is more infectious than previous strains of the malarial parasite. The superbug strain (named as PfKelch13 C580Y strain) has been found to be resistant to drug piperaquine that has resulted in the failure of treatment with artemisinin combination therapy. The scientists analyzed blood samples from infected patients in Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia who were suffering from uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
They found that the single mutant parasite strain PfKelch13 C580Y had spread across three countries. According to the author of the study, there is a replacement of the strains that were previously susceptible to artemisinin combination therapy. The key aspect of this strain is…
