Scientists unravel 'other' malaria parasite's DNA code

Scientists unravel 'other' malaria parasite's DNA code - Channel NewsAsia

Scientists said Sunday they had unravelled the genetic codes of parasites responsible for the bulk of malaria cases outside Africa, and found they were scarily diversified and may be harder to kill.

Outside of Africa, P. vivax accounts for half of all malaria cases, mainly in the Middle East, the Western Pacific and Central and South America.

P. vivax is more resilient than its deadlier, tropical cousin, and can stay in remission for longer and tolerate cooler climates.

In 2010, malaria infected about 216 million people and claimed an estimated 655,000 lives -- mainly in Africa where a child dies of the disease every minute, says the World Health Organisation.