A genetic variant that was absent from malaria samples collected in Uganda two decades ago has now become common in parts of the country. Researchers say the change is linked to reduced susceptibility to several important antimalarial drugs.
The variant occurs in Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of human malaria. In laboratory testing, parasites carrying it were less susceptible to lumefantrine, mefloquine and dihydroartemisinin, an active metabolite of the antimalarial drug artemether.
