Artemisinin combination therapies (ACT) are currently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the best available treatment for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum infection. As of 2010, artemisinin and its synthetic derivatives,...
The first known antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered by accident in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. Fleming noticed that a mold, from which the antibiotic was derived, killed all the bacteria around the mold. Further study led to the isolation of the...
People contract malaria when a mosquito that carries the microscopic malaria parasite bites them. Although malaria rarely affects people in the northern hemisphere north of the tropics, it is common in many nations in or near the tropics. The...
Leucovorin is a prescription medication used to reverse the action of folic acid antagonists, such as methotrexate, trimethoprim and pyrimethamine. The folic acid antagonist blocks the formation of folic acid, an essential nutrient, and...
Daraprim (pyrimethamine) is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria. It is also used to treat toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. According to Drugs.com, Daraprim is an antiparasitic drug that...
Folate, also known as folic acid, is one of eight essential B vitamins needed within your body. Folic acid is necessary for red blood cell formation and growth and works with vitamin B12 and vitamin C to help the body break down, use and create...
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the last phase of HIV, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines AIDS as having a positive HIV-antibody test and either a CD4 lymphocyte count of below 200...
Folic acid, or vitamin B9, is important during cell division and times of growth because it facilitates the synthesis of DNA. Folate deficiency is uncommon. Risk factors include malnutrition and alcoholism. Additional folate is needed during...
Folic acid is an essential B vitamin. Because it is water soluble, you need to consume folic acid in small amounts every day. It is especially important for pregnant women and women who may become pregnant because it helps prevent brain and spinal...
Vitamin B-12 is an essential, water-soluble vitamin found in foods such as shellfish, meat and dairy products. The body uses this vitamin with other B vitamins to help maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. B-12 is also needed to make...
Folic acid is the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate, naturally found in many fruits and vegetables. Your body can absorb folic acid more easily than folate, making it a better choice for dietary supplements. Foods fortified with B vitamins...
Malaria, a disease caused by parasite-carrying mosquitoes, affects 350 to 500 million people worldwide and kills about 1 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Malarial infections occur most frequently in Africa, Asia, the...
Parasitic diseases are a leading cause of illness and death worldwide, especially in areas with poor sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated one in four people harbors a parasite. The growing number of people with...
Folic acid, which is the synthetic version of folate, is also called vitamin B-9, which the body needs to function and develop properly. It helps with cellular and tissue growth, the formation of red blood cells and with the production of DNA....
Folic acid, a water-soluble B-complex vitamin, helps your body produce and maintain new cells, especially blood cells and platelets. It also helps prevent mutations in DNA that may lead to cancer and treats folic acid deficiency and certain types...
