New proteins to trace vivax malaria

MUMBAI: Researchers have identified blood proteins that could detect at an early stage a lesser known malarial parasite, Plasmodium vivax, which has become more virulent among the Indian population in the last few years.

The finding is significant since India accounts for more than 50% of global vivax malaria cases.The treatment of the strain is a challenge because the parasite has a longer incubation period and can remain dormant in the liver — a trait absent in falciparum malaria. A 28-member team led by the Indian Institute of Technology — Bombay (IIT-B) collected 200 blood samples from three endemic cities — Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bikaner (Rajasthan) for one malaria season in 2014. In Mumbai, KEM, Sir JJ and Hinduja hospitals participated in the study.

Malaria caused by falciparum or vivax may lead to kidney failure, seizures, permanent neurological damage, coma and even death. While both strains cause fever and flu like symptoms, doctors cannot detect the development of vivax malaria during the early stages. “Markers for identification of vivax malaria can shorten the time required for diagnosis, as early diagnosis and treatment lessens the severity,” said Dr Arunansu Talukdar, medicine department, Medical College Hospital, Kolkata, and a co-investigator.

Researchers said falciparum malaria is well studied with a case definition by the World Health Organisation (WHO). At present, doctors follow the diagnostic procedure suggested by the WHO for severe falciparum to determine the debilitating impact of vivax strain, but recently the world health body recognised the latter as a separate entity. Vivax patients are treated with standard anti-malaria drugs, including Chloroquine, which are effective for falciparum. “Inadequate or inappropriate treatment can lead to drug resistance in the long run,” said Dr Sanjay Kochar, professor and clinician at SP Medical College, Bikaner.

Researchers recorded approximately 90% of patients with vivax malaria, with only 10% patients having falciparum in the study’s Mumbai part . Unlike falciparum malaria which is more dangerous, vivax malaria is usually associated with extremely low parasite load but can still be severe, said professor Swati Patankar, a co-investigator.