Malaria parasites die quickly in blue dyes

According to the World Health Organization, malaria causes about 445,000 deaths a year. However, this number may decline in the future because scientists have discovered that a green, safe dye for people can kill blood parasites in two days - faster than before.

When a person is infected with a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite, a malaria parasite 1 cell invades the red blood cells and divides into male and parasite parasites called so-called cells. When other mosquitoes burn people, they will suck these cells, multiply in the stomach of mosquitoes. This leads to a new series of malaria parasites that find their way into the mosquito's salivary glands, and infect more people.

Usually, malaria is treated with combination therapy based on artemisinin. However, unfortunately, even after treatment is over, gametocytes can still remain in the patient's blood vessels for several weeks. This means that any mosquito biting a patient during that time can spread the disease to others.

Malaria parasites die quickly in blue dyes Picture 1

However, recently methylene blue dye has taken effect, no one expected.

In field trials conducted in Mali, this drug was added to the treatment because artemisinin containing it can eradicate all malaria parasite cells in the patient's blood in just 48 hours.

Previously, blue dyes are often used in laboratories to distinguish dead cells and living cells, and are thought to be well tolerated in the body of the examined subjects. And it has an interesting side effect.

"I used it and made urine a light green color," said Teun Bousema, a scientist at Radboud University in the Netherlands . This may be a problem to solve, because it can prevent any user. drug use ".

Participating in this project are scientists from the University of California - San Francisco and the American Malaria Research Center.

See more:

1. 10 interesting things about mosquitoes, the smallest but most dangerous insects on the planet
2. 3 simple ways to kill indoor insects that are not toxic
3. Scientists are about to teach mosquitoes without human blood