What are the major effects of antimalarial drug resistance?
The development of resistance to drugs poses one of the greatest threats to malaria control and results in increased malaria morbidity and mortality. Resistance to currently available antimalarial drugs has been confirmed in only two of the four human malaria parasite species, Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax.
What is drug resistance in malaria?
Antimalarial drug resistance is the ability of a parasite strain to survive and/or to multiply despite the administration and absorption of medicine given in doses equal to or higher than those usually recommended.
What causes antimalarial drug resistance?
Resistance of malaria parasites arises from several factors, including overuse of antimalarial drugs for prophylaxis, inadequate or incomplete therapeutic treatments of active infections, a high level of parasite adaptability at the genetic and metabolic levels, and a massive proliferation rate that permits selected …
What is the mechanism of action of antimalarial?
The quinoline-containing antimalarial drugs, chloroquine, quinine and mefloquine, are a vital part of our chemotherapeutic armoury against malaria. These drugs are thought to act by interfering with the digestion of haemoglobin in the blood stages of the malaria life cycle.
How do you deal with drug resistant malaria?
Multidrug resistant malaria : Drugs recommended for use are mefloquine, halofantrine and quinine with tetracycline. A three day course of clindamycin with quinine has proved effective in areas of endemic disease but there is insufficient evidence of their effectiveness in non-immune individuals [18].
How is falciparum malaria treated?
Approved therapies for treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in the United States include atovaquone–proguanil, quinine (a 3-day course plus a 1-week course of doxycycline or, in children, clindamycin), and mefloquine.
How do you tackle resistant malaria?
How antimalarial drugs work in the body?
Antimalarial medication works by killing the malaria parasites during their development stage in the liver and red blood cells. You need to begin taking your antimalarial before you enter the risk area to give it time to establish in your system.
What is the mechanism of action of artesunate?
Artesunate is an artemisinin derivative that is metabolized to DHA, which generates free radicals to inhibit normal function of Plasmodium parasites. It has a short duration of action due to its short half life, and a moderate therapeutic index.
Why are drug resistant bacteria such an important issue in healthcare?
What is antibiotic resistance and why is it such an important public health issue? Antibiotics are one of mankind’s most important discoveries. They allow us to survive serious bacterial infections. When bacteria become resistant to an antibiotic, it means that the antibiotic can no longer kill that bacteria.