Blood findings boost malaria hope

Members of the 'O' blood group are naturally resistant to the most severe forms of malaria, according to new research.

The study, undertaken by scientists from Edinburgh University, discovered that African children with the blood group were two-thirds less likely to fall into a coma or experience life-threatening anaemia - two conditions usually associated with the most severe forms of the condition.

As a result of their findings the team believe that creating a vaccine that mirrors the effect of having blood group 'O' red blood cells could reduce the fatal complications associated with malaria.

Dr Alex Rowe, a member of the team, said: "This discovery explains why some people are less likely to suffer from life-threatening malaria than others.

"If we can develop a drug or a vaccine to reduce rosetting and mimic the effect of being blood group O, we may be able to reduce the number of children dying from severe malaria in sub-Saharan Africa," she added.

Malaria makes more than 500 million severely ill every year, according to World Health Organization figures, with the majority of the cases occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

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