New hope from early warning malaria test

The two forms are placental and cerebral malaria, which between them kill hundreds of thousands of young children each year. Canadian researchers have discovered a distinctive chemical signature for each type of infection, which will allow early, intensive intervention.

Specialists from Toronto's McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health found the women with placental malaria carried a protein called C5a in their blood. This appears to contribute to an excessive immune response, causing inflammation in the placenta and getting in the way of normal blood vessel growth. This might well stop the baby getting enough nutrients during pregnancy.

The second finding is a combination of proteins that control blood vessels that indicate the presence of cerebral malaria. In healthy children, angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 (ANG-1 and 2) are kept in strict balance, but in those with cerebral malaria, the balance disappears.

The bigger the imbalance, the more likely it was that the child would not survive. The researchers said a test based on the chemicals would help doctors prioritise the sickest children.