This novel drug instructs drug-resistant malaria to self-destruct
Drug-resistant pathogens have been a growing concern in this world for the past few decades. Thankfully, scientists are coming up with innovative solutions to find ways around these pathogens' sneaky behavior. Examples of these are the production of these game-changing synthetic antibiotics or the Read More...
A species of East African jumping spider targets recently fed mosquitoes
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so the saying goes. As it turns out, this applies to humans and the natural world as well. Mosquitoes are the prime movers of malaria around the world, and scientists have worked hard to eliminate mosquitoes’ spread of this deadly disease. Yet, another species Read More...
Over 1 million African children inoculated against malaria
Malaria has long been one of the deadliest diseases in Africa, and fighting it has been a long and tiring struggle. When the RTS,S vaccine came out in 2021, it raised hopes for what could be a turning point in the fight against Malaria. For now, it seems to have had a profound change on the 1 Read More...
Scientists finally crack the origin of malaria-causing parasites
Malaria is one of the oldest diseases to have affected our primate ancestors, even long before homo sapiens ever existed. Sadly, it is extremely deadly in humans, so scientists around the world are always searching for innovative ways to tackle the disease, such as vaccines or even genetically Read More...
Here’s why mosquitos still bite us even when wearing repellent
As the warmer months approach, the number of mosquito bites you're getting is probably starting to rise. Those pesky insects use their mouths to penetrate our skin and suck up our blood, leaving an itchy, swollen bite in its place. For some areas in the world, a bite from one of these animals Read More...
Could genetically modified mosquitoes mean the end of malaria?
Managing mosquito populations is a key component to reducing malaria rates, but as anyone who has spent a summer evening outdoors knows, these pesky insects can be tough to work against. However, a landmark study has found that genetically modified mosquitoes can be introduced to keep insect Read More...
Mimicking cancer therapy has potential application in treating malaria
Parasites are organisms that feed off a host and can sometimes be dangerous to humans by causing disease. One of the most impactful to human health is the strain of Plasmodium, the culprit of malaria. This disease is spread through mosquitoes carrying the parasite which brings about a number of Read More...
World Health Organization approves malaria vaccine for the first time
Malaria is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases, killing about half a million people each year. Researchers have long been focused on developing a vaccine for malaria and this week, in a momentous moment for modern medicine, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) has finally approved the first Read More...
Redesigning houses in sub-Saharan Africa can reduce malaria infections
While some scientists are working to develop malaria vaccines with higher efficacy, others are keeping busy with more low-tech solutions to prevent the spread of this deadly disease. One of the latest of such solutions comes from scientists at Durham University who discovered that building Read More...
Mosquito monitors prove that these pests can be useful after all
Many of us have probably wondered to ourselves while swatting away pesky mosquitos if these itch-inducing creatures exist solely to ruin our fun and buzz in our ears. As it turns out, Ethan Jackson, a researcher at Microsoft, has found that mosquitos can actually serve a great Read More...