Survival rate formula assumes stable age structure (Olivier Johan Tavai Briet, 18 October 2011)
The authors use Davidson's formula (1954) to estimate the survival rate, which assumes that the mosquito population age structure is stable over the period of data collection. Since the data were collected for 10 nights in (only) one month, it is difficult to establish whether the population was approximately stable. If, for instance, the population was growing during the month surveyed, this would lead to underestimation of the survival rate. Even though there is little seasonality of rainfall in the area, the reported low survival rates should be interpreted with caution if there is no evidence that the population was stable.
Reference
Davidson, G. (1954) Estimation of the survival-rate of anopheline mosquitoes in nature. Nature, UK, 174, 792-793.
read full comment
A possible explanation for the decline: ivermectin from MDAs for LF (Edward Walker, 29 August 2011)
This interesting paper reveals a long term, downward trend in relative densities of Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus in a region of northeastern Tanzania where vector control measures specifically focusing on malaria control have not previously been implemented intensively. The authors conclude that the decline is therefore not due to any specific chemical intervention against the malaria vector populations and must have some other cause.
Ironically, this same research team is studying control of lymphatic filariasis at the same study sites, and have elsewhere documented significant declines in prevalence of microfilaremia, due to Wuchereria bancrofti infection, through well done longitudinal studies. Importantly, that process has been effected by mass distribution...
read full comment
Minor error in Table 1: number of Dd2 rif genes (Alex Rowe, 29 August 2011)
The number of rif genes in parasite strain Dd2 in Table 1 should read:
rif genes 95
rif pseudogenes 24
rif truncated genes 13
Total 132
read full comment
Could mosquitoes be dying from malaria? (Frank Ringsted, 29 August 2011)
The observed decline in malaria transmission and vector population occurs simultaneously with the spread of SP drug resistance. Could it be considered if the changes in the genetic profile of the parasite has become maladaptive for the parasite vector symbiosis, with altered parasite virulence eventually extinguishing the vector?
read full comment
Erratum: Figure 4 legend. The description of (D) should read:
(D) Mitotic schizont developmentally a little later than (C) showing an apicoplast in the early stages of ramification. The area of intense PfSHMTc fluorescence follows the ‘Y’ shape of the apicoplast closely
read full comment
Omission from article (Rune Bosselmann, 06 July 2011)
The authors fail to fully describe the product they are investigating but only state insecticide content for the sides of Permanet 3.0 and not the roof, which is the interesting part of the product as it contains the combination with PBO.
The sides of Permanet 3.0 contain 2.8g/kg and the roof contains 4 g/kg (so almost 50%more) and 25 g/kg PBO. In comparison Permanet 2.0 has about 2g/kg or only half that of the roof of Permanet 3.0.
In the discussion section of the article (p. 18 in the pdf) the authors note that;
"The high dose of deltamethrin alone in the side panels of unwashed PermaNet® 3.0 could explain the significant difference in mortality of resistant An. gambiae s.s with this net compared to the other treatment arms"
On the Potential Pitfalls of Data Mining: Response to Kuemmerle et al. Assessment of global reporting of adverse drug reactions for antimalarials, including artemisinin-based combination therapy, to the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (Ushma Mehta, 30 June 2011)
The recent scaling up of access to Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs), particularly in target populations frequently under-represented in clinical trials (e.g. infants, pregnant women, those with co-morbid HIV/AIDS and or malnutrition) highlights the importance of reporting, collating and analyzing data on adverse drug reactions. The WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring plays a central role in these activities, disseminating signals of new adverse drug reactions arising from such data as described in the manuscript by Kuemmerle et al.1
A crucial weakness of this analysis stems from the unclear definition and classification of ACTs. The only ACTs which are included in this report are Artemether-Lumefantrine and Artesunate-...
read full comment
Test and Treat - assuming there are tests (William Brieger, 23 May 2011)
The importance of not abandoning clinical diagnosis in <http://www.malariajournal.com/content/10/1/136> is well taken, but usually results in much over-treatment of malaria to the neglect of other febrile conditions. That said, it seems premature to worry about going whole hog on RDTs when supplies are still so inadequate and where training and supervision about their appropriate use is either lacking or ineffective.
read full comment
Precaution and funding of vector control must be based on evidence (Richard Tren, 19 May 2011)
Precaution and funding of vector control must be based on evidence
Richard Tren & Donald Roberts, Ph.D.
In their paper “Status of pesticide management in the practice of vector control: a global survey in countries at risk of malaria or other major vector-borne diseases,” van den Berg et al. make some generally accepted and valid arguments about the need for improved management of public health insecticides (PHIs). Given the importance of vector control, it would be beneficial for malaria control program managers and staff to be trained in proper insecticide use and management, if only to slow the spread of insecticide resistance. However the authors reveal an anti-insecticide bias and an ideological approach to disease control that could...
read full comment
Importance of sustained & long-term EU funding of malaria drug discovery (Ian Boulton, 15 March 2011)
This paper by Holtel et al. illustrates very clearly the importance of the research work on malaria that the European Union has funded under the FP6 & FP7 Programmes. The CRIMALDDI Consortium (www.crimalddi.eu) would like to compliment the authors on this timely review. Many of its members are involved in one of the ERAs mentioned in the paper (ANTIMAL) and so can speak from personal experience on the value not only of the funding received, but also of how the concept of ERAs has facilitated improved collaboration across Europe. We would like to support the comment in the paper that “EU-funded malaria research may serve as a showcase to demonstrate how ERA formation can successfully be implemented in a given area of science …”
Error in figures 2,3 and 4 (Olivier Johan Tavai Briet, 02 December 2010)
Unfortunately, in figures 2, 3, and 4, the data plotted for Idenau, An. nili, and Idenau, respectively, are not in accordance with the data presented in tables and text. Probably these series were plotted accidentally on the wrong axis (that of rainfall), and therefore appear to be near 0 throughout the study period. Would it be possible to correct these figures, or post an additional file with the data?
read full comment
Critique of method and discussion (Ole Skovmand, 11 November 2010)
The article of Francis Atieli et al bases its conclusions on methods that are not adequate to establish whether LLINs nets (LLIN) in practice give the protection they should The authors state that their work shows that when nets are washed according to local wash method with washes every 3 days, two polyethylene (PE) nets have a diminishing efficacy while two polyester (PES) nets have a less diminishing effect. All fail before 20 washes. However, the basis for the generalization of these data is not there. No local net-owners wash their nets every 3 day, so the study does not reflect local net washing practices as it claims. Several studies have shown that people wash their nets once or twice per year in most areas, including western Kenya. However, the method applied in this article is...
read full comment
Elimination is the act or process of bringing Rc<1 (Olivier Johan Tavai Briet, 11 October 2010)
Dr Cohen and colleagues provide a valuable overview of the historical and current ambiguities in the definition of elimination, and convincingly show that current targets for elimination, varying from a complete absence of local transmission to fewer than three epidemiologically linked cases per year, are not achievable in the presence of "intrinsic transmission potential" Rc>0 and the reality of imported infections. The authors then propose new terminology for 'targets', 'milestones', 'goals' or 'states' of transmission levels. Some of the ambiguity around the term “elimination” arises from differential usage of the word to describe a process, both a process and a state (within the same definition), or a state. The authors opt to use 'elimination' to describe a state. In...
read full comment
Questioning the use of materials, other than requisite Buffers, in RDTs (Donald Barrick, 03 August 2010)
Your article was very helpful, in noting that manufacturers apparently do not always understand the errors made in the field. This kind of feedback is desperately required, in order to make any RDT more accurate and helpful.
The question then becomes how often the use of liquids other than the requisite Buffer occurs? This has a profound impact on how the manufacturer responds.
For example, your article noted that the RDTs used in the study apparently gave specific direction in the use of the included Buffer; however, it did not contain cautions against the use of anything other than the Buffer supplied by the manufacturers. You suggested that such a warning be included in the technical instructions, which is a task that is easily done. In response to your article...
read full comment
Dihydroartemisinin: More Life-boat than Death-ride (Dennis Schmatz, 29 July 2010)
Sir,
I write in response to the commentary article in your journal entitled “The pharmaceutical death-ride of dihydroartemisinin” (Malaria Journal 2010, 9:212 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-9-212), written by Dr Frans Herwig Jansen, President of Dafra Pharma International, Belgium. As President and Chief Executive Officer of MMV, I would like to clarify a few points:
Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), in partnership with sigma-tau Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite, has indeed developed a stable fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine (DHA-PQP). Stability data collected according to International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH)...
read full comment
THE HYPNOZOITE : HISTORICAL ASPECTS REVEALED (Miles Markus, 27 May 2010)
It is stated in the excellent paper by Galinski and Barnwell that the name “hypnozoite” was coined in 1977; and an article by P.C.C. Garnham is cited in this regard. The term is, indeed, currently attributed to Garnham in the literature on parasitology and tropical medicine. However, he commented as follows in a letter to me: “I am sorry there should be even a misunderstanding on the origin of this word which as you … recognise from my remarks in Protozoology abstracts is clearly due to you.” He added: “… you found a very useful word to describe these stages.” As an historical item, the late Professor Garnham’s letter is due to be published, together with additional new details concerning the origin of the name “hypnozoite”...
read full comment
MalVac: Database of Malarial Vaccine Candidates (Version 1.1) (Rupanjali Chaudhuri, 18 May 2010)
Authors:Srinivasan Ramachandran , Ab Rauf Shah and Rupanjali Chaudhuri*
Address: G.N Ramachandran Knowledge Centre for Genome Informatics, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India.
Email: Ab Rauf Shah – abraufshah@gmail.com; Rupanjali Chaudhuri* - rupanjali.bhu@gmail.com; Srinivasan Ramachandran - ramuigib@gmail.com * Corresponding author
Abstract We have updated the MalVac database to MalVac version1.1. The set of predicted vaccine candidates from the whole proteome provided by the most recent PlasmoDB 6.3 release(12 March 2010) has been incorporated into the updated MalVac database. The predicted vaccine candidates are adhesin and adhesin like proteins from the...
read full comment
The CyScope DNA stain is *not* plasmodium-specific! (Howard Shapiro, 19 April 2010)
Although the authors assert that the stain used with the CyScope is specific for parasite DNA and also that Ref. 9 (Guy R et al, The use of fluorescence enhancement to improve the microscopic diagnosis of falciparum malaria. Malar J 2007, 6: 89) describes the use of "plasmodium nucleic acid-specific fluorescent dyes," this is incorrect. The fact is that there are *no* fluorescent dyes specific for the DNA of malaria or any other parasite. This is actually made clear in Ref. 9 itself, which clearly states "However, staining nucleic acids with fluorescent dyes alone is non-specific for Plasmodium and cannot be used to differentiate species of malaria." The CyScope stain is highly DNA-selective, and thus often described as "DNA-specific," but it stains human cell nuclei, erythrocyte...
read full comment
New, effective insecticides against malaria vectors: a solid field test (Edward Walker, 03 March 2010)
The wonderful results of this nicely designed and summarized field study are balanced by the sobering conclusions, not found in the abstract but rather appearing at the end of the article.
They are that industry has indeed been forthcoming with a highly promising and nearly immediately available insecticide formulation for control of malaria vectors through the indoor residual spray method, with demonstrated high efficacy against pyrethroid resistance populations. Yet, the manufacturer, for reasons unknown but perhaps related to product stewardship, out of concern of backlash from the public with regard to perceived health risks, or for some combination of reasons; does not intend to move the product into the vector control market, according to this paper's conclusions. On the...
read full comment
prescription practices and national antimalarial treatment guideline (folasade lawal, 01 January 2010)
A research of great interest considering the enormity of the problem of resistance to antimalarials. I just wish to add that we need to find out how many prescribers are aware or have access to the national antimalarial treatment guideline and how many make use of it especially against the background that prescriptions for malaria are generated by varied healthcare providers since most antimalarials in Nigeria are available over-the-counter.
read full comment
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Latest comments
Survival rate formula assumes stable age structure (Olivier Johan Tavai Briet, 18 October 2011)
The authors use Davidson's formula (1954) to estimate the survival rate, which assumes that the mosquito population age structure is stable over the period of data collection. Since the data were collected for 10 nights in (only) one month, it is difficult to establish whether the population was approximately stable. If, for instance, the population was growing during the month surveyed, this would lead to underestimation of the survival rate. Even though there is little seasonality of rainfall in the area, the reported low survival rates should be interpreted with caution if there is no evidence that the population was stable.
Reference
Davidson, G. (1954) Estimation of the survival-rate of anopheline mosquitoes in nature. Nature, UK, 174, 792-793. read full comment
Comment on: Bugoro et al. Malaria Journal, 10:287
Correction of typo in additional file (Lisa White, 18 October 2011)
The equation lambda=R_0*((1/L)+(1/d_treat))*(I_1+I_2)/N should be lambda=R_0*((1/L)+(1/d_in))*(I_1+I_2)/N. read full comment
Comment on: White et al. Malaria Journal, 8:212
Possible effects of MDA (Dan Wolf Meyrowitsch, 18 October 2011)
Dear Dr.... read full comment
Comment on: Meyrowitsch et al. Malaria Journal, 10:188
A possible explanation for the decline: ivermectin from MDAs for LF (Edward Walker, 29 August 2011)
This interesting paper reveals a long term, downward trend in relative densities of Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus in a region of northeastern Tanzania where vector control measures specifically focusing on malaria control have not previously been implemented intensively. The authors conclude that the decline is therefore not due to any specific chemical intervention against the malaria vector populations and must have some other cause.
Ironically, this same research team is studying control of lymphatic filariasis at the same study sites, and have elsewhere documented significant declines in prevalence of microfilaremia, due to Wuchereria bancrofti infection, through well done longitudinal studies. Importantly, that process has been effected by mass distribution... read full comment
Comment on: Meyrowitsch et al. Malaria Journal, 10:188
Minor error in Table 1: number of Dd2 rif genes (Alex Rowe, 29 August 2011)
The number of rif genes in parasite strain Dd2 in Table 1 should read:
rif genes 95
rif pseudogenes 24
rif truncated genes 13
Total 132 read full comment
Comment on: Claessens et al. Malaria Journal, 10:180
Could mosquitoes be dying from malaria? (Frank Ringsted, 29 August 2011)
The observed decline in malaria transmission and vector population occurs simultaneously with the spread of SP drug resistance. Could it be considered if the changes in the genetic profile of the parasite has become maladaptive for the parasite vector symbiosis, with altered parasite virulence eventually extinguishing the vector? read full comment
Comment on: Meyrowitsch et al. Malaria Journal, 10:188
Erratum Fig 4 Legend (John Hyde, 12 July 2011)
Erratum: Figure 4 legend. The description of (D) should read:
(D) Mitotic schizont developmentally a little later than (C) showing an apicoplast in the early stages of ramification. The area of intense PfSHMTc fluorescence follows the ‘Y’ shape of the apicoplast closely read full comment
Comment on: Read et al. Malaria Journal, 9:351
Omission from article (Rune Bosselmann, 06 July 2011)
The authors fail to fully describe the product they are investigating but only state insecticide content for the sides of Permanet 3.0 and not the roof, which is the interesting part of the product as it contains the combination with PBO.
The sides of Permanet 3.0 contain 2.8g/kg and the roof contains 4 g/kg (so almost 50%more) and 25 g/kg PBO. In comparison Permanet 2.0 has about 2g/kg or only half that of the roof of Permanet 3.0.
In the discussion section of the article (p. 18 in the pdf) the authors note that;
"The high dose of deltamethrin alone in the side panels of unwashed PermaNet® 3.0 could explain the significant difference
in mortality of resistant An. gambiae s.s with this net compared to the other treatment arms"
It is a... read full comment
Comment on: Koudou et al. Malaria Journal, 10:172
On the Potential Pitfalls of Data Mining: Response to Kuemmerle et al. Assessment of global reporting of adverse drug reactions for antimalarials, including artemisinin-based combination therapy, to the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (Ushma Mehta, 30 June 2011)
The recent scaling up of access to Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs), particularly in target populations frequently under-represented in clinical trials (e.g. infants, pregnant women, those with co-morbid HIV/AIDS and or malnutrition) highlights the importance of reporting, collating and analyzing data on adverse drug reactions. The WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring plays a central role in these activities, disseminating signals of new adverse drug reactions arising from such data as described in the manuscript by Kuemmerle et al.1
A crucial weakness of this analysis stems from the unclear definition and classification of ACTs. The only ACTs which are included in this report are Artemether-Lumefantrine and Artesunate-... read full comment
Comment on: Kuemmerle et al. Malaria Journal, 10:57
Correction of the malaria registered cases in Brazil in 2010 (Patricia Brasil, 15 June 2011)
Please, consider correction of the number of malaria registered cases in Brazil in 2010: 343,599 cases and not 3343,599
read full comment
Comment on: Brasil et al. Malaria Journal, 10:122
Test and Treat - assuming there are tests (William Brieger, 23 May 2011)
The importance of not abandoning clinical diagnosis in <http://www.malariajournal.com/content/10/1/136> is well taken, but usually results in much over-treatment of malaria to the neglect of other febrile conditions. That said, it seems premature to worry about going whole hog on RDTs when supplies are still so inadequate and where training and supervision about their appropriate use is either lacking or ineffective. read full comment
Comment on: Graz et al. Malaria Journal, 10:136
Precaution and funding of vector control must be based on evidence (Richard Tren, 19 May 2011)
Precaution and funding of vector control must be based on evidence
Richard Tren & Donald Roberts, Ph.D.
In their paper “Status of pesticide management in the practice of vector control: a global survey in countries at risk of malaria or other major vector-borne diseases,” van den Berg et al. make some generally accepted and valid arguments about the need for improved management of public health insecticides (PHIs). Given the importance of vector control, it would be beneficial for malaria control program managers and staff to be trained in proper insecticide use and management, if only to slow the spread of insecticide resistance. However the authors reveal an anti-insecticide bias and an ideological approach to disease control that could... read full comment
Comment on: van den Berg et al. Malaria Journal, 10:125
Importance of sustained & long-term EU funding of malaria drug discovery (Ian Boulton, 15 March 2011)
This paper by Holtel et al. illustrates very clearly the importance of the research work on malaria that the European Union has funded under the FP6 & FP7 Programmes. The CRIMALDDI Consortium (www.crimalddi.eu) would like to compliment the authors on this timely review. Many of its members are involved in one of the ERAs mentioned in the paper (ANTIMAL) and so can speak from personal experience on the value not only of the funding received, but also of how the concept of ERAs has facilitated improved collaboration across Europe. We would like to support the comment in the paper that “EU-funded malaria research may serve as a showcase to demonstrate how ERA formation can successfully be implemented in a given area of science …”
The discovery of novel... read full comment
Comment on: Holtel et al. Malaria Journal, 10:11
Correction for funding information (Philip Bejon, 04 February 2011)
The funding information should read "P. Bejon is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Oxford" read full comment
Comment on: Kinyanjui et al. Malaria Journal, 8:242
Error in figures 2,3 and 4 (Olivier Johan Tavai Briet, 02 December 2010)
Unfortunately, in figures 2, 3, and 4, the data plotted for Idenau, An. nili, and Idenau, respectively, are not in accordance with the data presented in tables and text. Probably these series were plotted accidentally on the wrong axis (that of rainfall), and therefore appear to be near 0 throughout the study period. Would it be possible to correct these figures, or post an additional file with the data? read full comment
Comment on: Bigoga et al. Malaria Journal, 6:5
Critique of method and discussion (Ole Skovmand, 11 November 2010)
The article of Francis Atieli et al bases its conclusions on methods that are not adequate to establish whether LLINs nets (LLIN) in practice give the protection they should The authors state that their work shows that when nets are washed according to local wash method with washes every 3 days, two polyethylene (PE) nets have a diminishing efficacy while two polyester (PES) nets have a less diminishing effect. All fail before 20 washes. However, the basis for the generalization of these data is not there. No local net-owners wash their nets every 3 day, so the study does not reflect local net washing practices as it claims. Several studies have shown that people wash their nets once or twice per year in most areas, including western Kenya. However, the method applied in this article is... read full comment
Comment on: Atieli et al. Malaria Journal, 9:304
Which Concanavalin A? (Lisa Ranford-Cartwright, 10 November 2010)
Sigma sells several types of ConA: the one we used for these experiments is Cat # C2010. read full comment
Comment on: Ranford-Cartwright et al. Malaria Journal, 9:170
Elimination is the act or process of bringing Rc<1 (Olivier Johan Tavai Briet, 11 October 2010)
Dr Cohen and colleagues provide a valuable overview of the historical and current ambiguities in the definition of elimination, and convincingly show that current targets for elimination, varying from a complete absence of local transmission to fewer than three epidemiologically linked cases per year, are not achievable in the presence of "intrinsic transmission potential" Rc>0 and the reality of imported infections. The authors then propose new terminology for 'targets', 'milestones', 'goals' or 'states' of transmission levels. Some of the ambiguity around the term “elimination” arises from differential usage of the word to describe a process, both a process and a state (within the same definition), or a state. The authors opt to use 'elimination' to describe a state. In... read full comment
Comment on: Cohen et al. Malaria Journal, 9:213
Questioning the use of materials, other than requisite Buffers, in RDTs (Donald Barrick, 03 August 2010)
Your article was very helpful, in noting that manufacturers apparently do not always understand the errors made in the field. This kind of feedback is desperately required, in order to make any RDT more accurate and helpful.
The question then becomes how often the use of liquids other than the requisite Buffer occurs? This has a profound impact on how the manufacturer responds.
For example, your article noted that the RDTs used in the study apparently gave specific direction in the use of the included Buffer; however, it did not contain cautions against the use of anything other than the Buffer supplied by the manufacturers. You suggested that such a warning be included in the technical instructions, which is a task that is easily done. In response to your article... read full comment
Comment on: Gillet et al. Malaria Journal, 9:215
Dihydroartemisinin: More Life-boat than Death-ride (Dennis Schmatz, 29 July 2010)
Sir,
I write in response to the commentary article in your journal entitled “The pharmaceutical death-ride of dihydroartemisinin” (Malaria Journal 2010, 9:212 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-9-212), written by Dr Frans Herwig Jansen, President of Dafra Pharma International, Belgium. As President and Chief Executive Officer of MMV, I would like to clarify a few points:
Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), in partnership with sigma-tau Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite, has indeed developed a stable fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine (DHA-PQP). Stability data collected according to International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH)... read full comment
Comment on: Jansen Malaria Journal, 9:212
THE HYPNOZOITE : HISTORICAL ASPECTS REVEALED (Miles Markus, 27 May 2010)
It is stated in the excellent paper by Galinski and Barnwell that the name “hypnozoite” was coined in 1977; and an article by P.C.C. Garnham is cited in this regard. The term is, indeed, currently attributed to Garnham in the literature on parasitology and tropical medicine. However, he commented as follows in a letter to me: “I am sorry there should be even a misunderstanding on the origin of this word which as you … recognise from my remarks in Protozoology abstracts is clearly due to you.” He added: “… you found a very useful word to describe these stages.” As an historical item, the late Professor Garnham’s letter is due to be published, together with additional new details concerning the origin of the name “hypnozoite”... read full comment
Comment on: Galinski et al. Malaria Journal, 7:S9
MalVac: Database of Malarial Vaccine Candidates (Version 1.1) (Rupanjali Chaudhuri, 18 May 2010)
Authors:Srinivasan Ramachandran , Ab Rauf Shah and Rupanjali Chaudhuri*
Address: G.N Ramachandran Knowledge Centre for Genome Informatics, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India.
Email: Ab Rauf Shah – abraufshah@gmail.com; Rupanjali Chaudhuri* - rupanjali.bhu@gmail.com; Srinivasan Ramachandran - ramuigib@gmail.com
* Corresponding author
Abstract
We have updated the MalVac database to MalVac version1.1. The set of predicted vaccine candidates from the whole proteome provided by the most recent PlasmoDB 6.3 release(12 March 2010) has been incorporated into the updated MalVac database. The predicted vaccine candidates are adhesin and adhesin like proteins from the... read full comment
Comment on: Chaudhuri et al. Malaria Journal, 7:184
The CyScope DNA stain is *not* plasmodium-specific! (Howard Shapiro, 19 April 2010)
Although the authors assert that the stain used with the CyScope is specific for parasite DNA and also that Ref. 9 (Guy R et al, The use of fluorescence enhancement to improve the microscopic diagnosis of falciparum malaria. Malar J 2007, 6: 89) describes the use of "plasmodium nucleic acid-specific fluorescent dyes," this is incorrect. The fact is that there are *no* fluorescent dyes specific for the DNA of malaria or any other parasite. This is actually made clear in Ref. 9 itself, which clearly states "However, staining nucleic acids with fluorescent dyes alone is non-specific for Plasmodium and cannot be used to differentiate species of malaria." The CyScope stain is highly DNA-selective, and thus often described as "DNA-specific," but it stains human cell nuclei, erythrocyte... read full comment
Comment on: Hassan et al. Malaria Journal, 9:88
New, effective insecticides against malaria vectors: a solid field test (Edward Walker, 03 March 2010)
The wonderful results of this nicely designed and summarized field study are balanced by the sobering conclusions, not found in the abstract but rather appearing at the end of the article.
They are that industry has indeed been forthcoming with a highly promising and nearly immediately available insecticide formulation for control of malaria vectors through the indoor residual spray method, with demonstrated high efficacy against pyrethroid resistance populations. Yet, the manufacturer, for reasons unknown but perhaps related to product stewardship, out of concern of backlash from the public with regard to perceived health risks, or for some combination of reasons; does not intend to move the product into the vector control market, according to this paper's conclusions. On the... read full comment
Comment on: N'Guessan et al. Malaria Journal, 9:44
prescription practices and national antimalarial treatment guideline (folasade lawal, 01 January 2010)
A research of great interest considering the enormity of the problem of resistance to antimalarials. I just wish to add that we need to find out how many prescribers are aware or have access to the national antimalarial treatment guideline and how many make use of it especially against the background that prescriptions for malaria are generated by varied healthcare providers since most antimalarials in Nigeria are available over-the-counter. read full comment
Comment on: Gbotosho et al. Malaria Journal, 8:313