Malaria-causing parasites in Africa and southeast Asia are developing genetic mutations that pose grave health implications to the people there.
UPI reports researchers collected samples in countries battling the mosquito-borne illness.
They found genetic mutations that fuel resistance to a drug intended to prevent malaria in pregnant women and children are common.
The gene mutations are linked with resistance to the drug sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.
The mutations were discovered in one-fourth of the samples collected in southeast Asia and one-third of those obtained in Africa.
