According to the World Health Organization, malaria is responsible for approximately 445,000 deaths every year. That number may be due to drop, however, as scientists have found that a human-safe blue dye kills parasites in patients' bloodstreams within two days – that's faster than has ever been possible before.
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That's where the methylene blue dye comes in.In field tests conducted in Mali, it was added to artemisinin-based medication, and was found to eradicate all gametocytes in patients' bloodstreams within as little as 48 hours. The dye is typically used in laboratories to distinguish dead cells from living cells, and was reportedly well-tolerated by the test subjects. It does, however, have one interesting side effect.
According to the lead scientist it turns your urine blue, which is reason enough for anybody to take it, really.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 09 2018, @05:26AM
A little off-topic but methylene blue has some other interesting properties: its an oxygen sensor [americanchemistry.com].
I have long suspected the blue fluid used to detect automotive head-gasket leaks to the radiator by bubbling any gases coming from the radiator through a solution will turn it from blue to yellow if CO and CO2 exhaust gases are being vented to the coolant - is methylene blue.
It seems to be a commonly available product. Quite useful in raising tropical fish. [google.com]