With the incidence of malaria being widespread among the poorer sections, and the malaria parasite developing resistance to drugs, there have been efforts to find newer ways to fight the disease. An early diagnosis will help reduce morbidity. A new tool that uses mechanical engineering to diagnose malaria may help fight the disease or check its spread. A small diagnostic kit which uses micro-electronics and micro-biology may be a solution in far off places where people may not have easy access to hospitals, said a US-based scientist.
Malaria has staged a dramatic comeback in India after its near eradication in the early and mid-sixties. The data from National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme says that the number of deaths from malaria had been falling in the country over the years. But, the number of people affected by malaria stood at a worrying 0.75 million in 2008.
Any means of reducing the incidents of malaria has been welcomed over the years. While most of them have not been environment-friendly such as the use of DDT, the others have not been found to be effective. Over time, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, the two microbes that cause malaria have also been developing resistance to many a drug commonly used to treat malaria.
The stiffening of the red blood cells due to infection by malarial parasite can be used to find the incidence of malaria. This property is being tried by scientists to detect malaria in its early stages, said Subra Suresh, dean, school of engineering, MIT-Engineering for the Future. He was speaking in Bangalore on Monday.
All healthy cells vibrate naturally. The presence of a protein named RESA makes it stiff and vibrate less. By knocking out the RESA protein from the infected cell using tools developed from the marriage of micro-electronics and micro-biology will stop malaria in its tracks, added Suresh.
Meanwhile, University of California is working on a portable wearable healthcare diagnostic kits.
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The engineering of the 21st Century will criss-cross a cross section of disciplines involving engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, medicine and public health to solve micro and macro problems, he said.