Lethal Weapon

"Mankind may finally have a weapon to fight two of the world's deadliest diseases." A new vaccine may prove to be a "lethal weapon against malaria" and cholera. Each year approximately a million people die from malaria and cholera sickens hundreds of thousands. Currently, "no FDA approved vaccine to prevent malaria, a mosquito-borne illness" exists. "Only one vaccine to fight cholera, a diarrheal illness that is common in developing countries and can be fatal" is on the market. "The lone vaccine is too expensive to prevent outbreaks in developing countries after floods, and children lose immunity within three years of getting the current vaccine."

Recently, a "University of Central Florida biomedical researcher has developed what promises to be the first low-cost dual vaccine against malaria and cholera."

Led by Henry Daniell, the "team genetically engineered tobacco and lettuce plants to produce the vaccine. Researchers gave mice freeze-dried plant cells (orally or by injection) containing the vaccine. They then challenged the mice with either the cholera toxin or malarial parasite…Untreated rodents contracted diseases quickly, but the mice who received the plant-grown vaccines showed long-lasting immunity for more than 300 days (equivalent to 50 human years)."

In addition to this vaccine, Daniell's lab has "created vaccines against anthrax and black plague that generated a congratulatory call from the top U.S. homeland security official and was featured on the Discovery Channel."

But, why lettuce? "Producing vaccines in plants is less expensive than traditional methods because it requires less labor and technology," Daniell said.

"We're talking about producing mass quantities for pennies on the dollar," he said. "And distribution to mass populations would be easy because it could be made into a simple pill, like a vitamin, which many people routinely take now. There is no need for expensive purification, cold storage, transportation or sterile delivery via injections."

"For Daniell, his research is more than his day job. His passion to find vaccines for the world's top 10 diseases as defined by the World Health Organization comes from growing up in India. He watched many of his childhood friends contract malaria, cholera and other diseases."

"I'm not done yet," he claims. "I still have more diseases to attack."

Source:
University of Central Florida (2010, January 27). New vaccine could be lethal weapon against malaria, cholera. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 3, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2010/01/100126101421.htm

Malaria in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has received a bleak prognosis for 2009 regarding malaria and cholera cases. Cholera continues to surge at epidemic levels, high numbers of malaria cases are also expected. "Malaria may be worse in Zimbabwe in 2009" than it has been in previous years. "That's because efforts to control cholera may be diverting attention away from programs to prevent malaria. The warning comes from the Rollback Malaria Campaign" (DeCapua).

"It's not just the rainy season that's helping to spread" the diseases, "but also a weakened healthcare system and poor water and sanitation". The Rollback Malaria Campaign adds that "there's been much less indoor residual spraying against mosquitoes", "and current heavy rains will help increase the mosquito population." Treatment "kits to help manage severe malaria cases are not reaching those in need due to distribution problems and that there's a shortage of healthcare workers due to Zimbabwe's economic crisis" (DeCapua).

According to recent statistics, fewer than 7% of young children sleep under any kind of mosquito net. Since mosquitoes are most active at night, the use of a net is paramount in avoiding bites from the mosquitoes that may carry malaria.
For more statistics please visit the Zimbabwe country profile.

Bureaucratic bottlenecks have limited the program's effectiveness in Zimbabwe, but other challenges are even more difficult to overcome. "Problems with flow of global fund within country resulted the loss of part of funding" and there is a constant shortage of personnel (RBM Campaign).

However, there is good news for Zimbabwe. Malaria-related deaths fell between 2001 and 2007 largely because of malaria treatment programs.

The number of deaths is expected to rise in 2009 due to the projected increase in numbers of cases.

[Photo provided by the RBM Campaign]

Currently, "malaria is found in all areas of Zimbabwe except the city of Harare" (Uyaphi). According to the MD Travel Health Website, "Prophylaxis with Lariam, Malarone, or doxycycline" Malaria treatment "is recommended for all areas, except the cities of Harare and Bulawayo".


Malaria prevention in Zimbabwe is dependent of funds raised outside of the country. If you would like to donate to the RBM Campaign, please visit their donation page.