The first genes for susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Angolan children identified
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 16:30
in Health & Medicine
Malaria, caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, remains one of the main causes of death worldwide. An international team of researchers lead by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, IGC, scientist Carlos Penha-Gonçalves, has identified the first genetic risk factors for the development of cerebral malaria in Angolan children, a severe manifestation of malaria infection. These findings, just published in the journal Plos One, are the outcome of a study carried out at a pediatrics hospital in Luanda, an Angolan province where malaria is the first cause of morbidity and mortality.