Tools for detecting fake malaria

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a hand-held instrument capable of detecting fake or non-standard malaria drugs and for mass production of the device, according to Reuters, 24. / 4.

The device is called CD-3 by scientists at the FDA's Center for Forensic Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. It operates on batteries, using different wavelengths of light to compare real malaria medications with counterfeit products.

Malaria is a deadly disease caused by mosquitoes, which usually causes fever, colds and flu-like symptoms.

In 2010 alone, 219 million people worldwide were infected with an estimated 660,000 deaths, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Health Organization.

Fake and unqualified drugs double the damage, according to Margaret Hamburg, an FDA expert.

"If not treated promptly and properly, malaria can kill a person within a few days, and inappropriate treatment also leads to resistance , " added Margaret.

The device will be tested in Ghana, followed by other places in Africa and Southeast Asia where high rates of malaria and fake malaria are prevalent.