The parasites were first detected in Cambodia in 2008, and in less than ten years had spread to neighbouring countries. First-choice drugs were failing to treat almost half of patients sick with malaria in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, by 2017. The parasites have spread by evolving with acquired genetic features, suggesting they have enhanced fitness to survive, a report said. Malaria is one of the world's biggest killers, claiming the life of a child every two minutes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of these deaths occur in Africa, where 250,000 youngsters die from the disease every year. Experts said the findings raise the 'terrifying prospect' that drug resistance could spread to Africa, where most malaria cases and deaths occur.
