Handheld Scanner for Fake Malaria Drugs to be Tested in US

A handheld device that can scan drugs and report within seconds whether they are real or fake will be tested by US regulators in a bid to help the fight against malaria.

Counterfeit and substandard malaria drugs are a key concern in many parts of the world where the mosquito-borne disease is a problem, and finding a low-cost way to test drugs in the field would be a boon to public health efforts, experts said.

Malaria - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is characterized by fever, vomiting, shivering, sweating and other symptoms.

The Food and Drug Administration said the gadget, called the Counterfeit Detection Device, or CD-3, has been used since 2010 to screen cosmetics, foods, medical devices and cigarettes, as well as to investigate product tampering and questionable documents coming into the United States.

It remains to be seen whether the CD-3 can be useful in identifying counterfeit and substandard malaria drugs, but tests will begin later this year in Ghana, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said.

"We believe it has the ability to be a frontline tool," she told reporters.

About Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The device is battery-operated and uses a variety of wavelengths of light to illuminate a product and compare it to a verified sample.

"This allows inspectors to identify suspect products and remove them from the supply chain," the FDA said in a statement.

Fever / Pyrexia - Symptom Evaluation - Types - FAQs
Fever or Pyrexia is an elevation in normal body temperature. Causes of fever include infections, injury, cancers, inflammation, hormonal, metabolic and genetic diseases.

"Minimal scientific or technical background is needed to operate the tool, and it can be used even in remote communities or in places with only very basic health care systems."

About 660,000 people die worldwide every year from malaria.

Source-AFP