 Leading Research to Understand, Treat, and Prevent Infectious, Immunologic, and Allergic Diseases |
    Visit us on the Web |
Malaria severity not determined solely by parasite levels in blood
NIAID-funded study in Tanzanian infants tracked risk of severe malaria over time
Although malaria kills some 600,000 African children each year, most cases of the mosquito-borne parasitic disease in children are mild. However, the relative contributions of such factors as the level of malaria-causing parasites in a person’s blood—parasite density—to disease severity and to development of protective immunity are not well understood. A long-term study of 882 Tanzanian infants found that parasite density is not the sole determinant of disease severity. Contrary to predictions of some mathematical models, the study found that one or two cases of mild disease are not sufficient to eliminate the chance of developing a case of severe malaria at a later time. Read more about the study http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario