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Prevalence Of Artemisinin Resistance Associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Kenyan Isolates, Elizabeth M. Glenn

Biology ETDs

Malaria has had an unspeakable toll on human economy and wellbeing. Every year, there are approximately 212 million malaria infections caused by Plasmodium falciparum leading to 429,000 deaths, the vast majority of which occur in sub-Saharan Africa where the parasite is endemic. Decades of widespread use, and probable misuse, of antimalarial drugs has created extraordinary selective pressure on the parasite and made many formerly effective drugs ineffective. Currently, artemisinin and artemisinin derivatives are the most effective treatment available but resistance to dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the active ingredient, is emerging. Continued monitoring for genetic mutations linked with resistance is vital to global …