Scientists are calling for 'radical action' to impede further spread of a drug-resistant malaria strain in Southeast Asia, as studies indicate that it has now reached the border between Cambodia and Thailand.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that a certain malaria strain resilient to key medicines is now spreading across Southeast Asia and may destabilize global efforts to contain the mosquito-borne illness.

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The study analyzed blood samples from over 1,200 malaria patients from 10 countries across Asia and Africa, and found malaria parasites resistant to artemisinin, the world's most effective anti-malarial drug.

Blood samples that displayed this strain of malaria were isolated and had been identified to be from Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

On the other hand, malaria patients' blood samples from Africa show no resistance to the drug, clearing any speculation of another outbreak in the continent.

Source countries of samples from Africa include Nigeria, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Professor of Tropical Medicine Nicholas White of Oxford University stated that there might still be hope of preventing an outbreak of this type of malaria by eliminating them but it should be done quickly.

According to the study, doubling the anti-malarial treatment course could from three to six days aid in fighting the fast-spreading drug-resistant parasite.

Despite efforts to impede the spread of malaria, more than 50 percent of the world's population is still threatened by the disease whereas over 600,000 die because of it every year.

Meanwhile, Dr. Brian Greenwood of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine cited that the advent of a drug-resistant parasite poses a grave threat to malaria control and has to be hampered immediately.

"Every effort needs to be made to contain their spread while at the same time pushing forward with the development of effective alternative treatments that are almost certainly going to be needed in the future," he said.

TagsStudy, Malaria, New England Jounal of Medicine, southeast asia