Potential Cure for Malaria Discovered in Rainforests of Costa Rica

A team of researchers in Costa Rica’s Alberto Manuel Brenes Reserve have been searching for plants that might help cure the mosquito-transmitted disease known as malaria. While not a common disease in Costa Rica, the country’s tropical rainforests have a wide diversity of plants that sometimes cannot be found elsewhere in the world– and some of these species might contain medicinal properties to help stop malaria and other diseases. An estimated 1-3 million people die each year from malaria.

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During their research, the team collected a total of 50 promising plants. The two that appear to be medicinal candidates are from the Asteraceae and Meliaceae families. The Asteraceae family includes flowers like asters, daisies, sunflowers. The Meliaceae family contains trees and shrubs such as mahogany. As of now, no other details have been released by the team as to why they think that these species within the aforementioned plant families might cure (or help prevent?) malaria. Although it is worth noting that plants from the Meliaceae family have been used as natural cures for fevers in some parts of the world and herbal remedies like the plant Echinacea are also found in the Asteraceae family.

Malaria is a sometimes confused disease. Mosquitoes themselves are not directly responsible, but they can be thought of as the carriers of the disease– or triggermen. Protozoan parasites that live within females of some mosquito species are the culprits. Once these parasites enter the human body they spread rapidly through red blood cells. Symptoms commence soon thereafter and can range from dizziness to fever and nausea.

Drugs to help treat and prevent malaria are currently expensive for many of those in need and are not 100% effective– hence the search for a cure. Mosquito nets and other methods for controlling mosquito populations, such as spraying insecticide, have been the most effective methods to date for preventing malaria. Let’s hope the Costa Rican research team succeeds in finding a plant from a which an effective vaccine can be developed.

Read About Other Fascinating Discoveries on the Green Options Network:

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• German Scientists Discover 120 Million Year Old Bizarre Ant in Amazon Rainforest
• Magnificent Waterfall Discovered in Peru– Perhaps One of World’s Tallest
• New Ocean Current Discovered
• Scientists Puzzled By New Bird Species in Africa

Photo Credit: tanakawho on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

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