Study reveals genetic changes driving artemisinin resistance

“These data serve as a reminder of how crucial surveillance and elimination programs are,” said Dominic Kwiatkowski, MBBS, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

“At present, artemisinin resistance appears to be largely confined to Southeast Asia, but the situation might change as the parasite population continues to evolve. By linking genomic data with clinical data, we’re developing a better understanding of the multiple genetic factors involved in the emergence of resistance, and that is starting to provide vital clues about how to prevent its spread.”