The ultimate measure of a man is
not where he stands in moments
of comfort and convenience,
but where he stands at times of
challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, Jr
CONTENTS - VOL 24#4
Malaria Vaccine Tested
R
esearchers reported a breakthrough in the search for a vaccine
for malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that sickens millions
worldwide. More than three dozen volunteers received
multiple, intravenous doses of a vaccine produced with a weakened
form of the disease, scientists from the National Institutes of Health,
the Navy, Army and other organizations reported. Though the results
were promising, more extensive field testing will be required, the
researchers wrote. Nevertheless, it marks the first time any vaccine
trial has shown 100% success in protecting subjects from the
mosquito-borne tropical disease, which sickens more than 200 million
a year and killed about 660,000 in 2010. Dr. William Schaffner, head of
the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt University’s medical
school, called the results “a scientific advance” - but cautioned that
it’s “not ready yet for prime time”.
Meanwhile, a California-based start-up Olfactor Laboratories
has developed a sticker, Kite Mosquito Patch, that the company
claims can make wearers virtually invisible to mosquitoes for up
to 48 hours, by masking their carbon dioxide emissions. The Kite
Mosquito Patch, which can be stuck on the clothing, reportedly uses
non-toxic compounds that prevent mosquitoes from detecting carbon
dioxide exuded by humans, preventing mosquitoes from finding their
human victims.
Kite’s technology stems from scientific developments initially
developed at the University of California, Riverside with assistance
from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National
Institutes of Health. “When you wear Kite, the product makes you
practically invisible to mosquitoes and we’ve been able to accomplish
this using food-grade FDA approved compounds, removing the need to
use toxic and dangerous chemicals that are currently found in today’s
products”, said Dr Michelle Brown.
Kite will soon begin a six-month pilot program in Uganda. The
Indiegogo campaign is focused on sending 20 000 Kite patches for
large-scale testing in Uganda, where malaria rates are over 60 percent.
Said Dr. Michelle Brown in a press release. “There is no silver bullet.
However, we are confident that our work to make humans invisible
to mosquitoes will be transformational in the broader war against
mosquito-borne diseases.”
The African Fisherman is published six times per annum by Mag-Set Publications (Pvt) Ltd, as a service to the community, and is committed to the preservation
of the environment and its angling resources. We support junior angling and a policy of selective harvest of all species, and catch and release of certain species,
and the fostering of goodwill among all beneficiaries of these resources.
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