A "SUPER malaria" is spreading throughout South East Asia and cannot be killed with the standard anti-malaria drugs, scientists have warned.
The dangerous form of the parasite has become resistant to drugs and is rapidly sweeping through the region.
It is said to have emerged in Cambodia but since spread through parts of Thailand, Laos and is now in southern Vietnam.
Professor Arjen Dondrop, head of the Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok, told the BBC: "We think it is a serious threat.
"It is alarming that this strain is spreading so quickly through the whole region and we fear it can spread further [and eventually] jump to Africa."
In a letter published by the researchers in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, they write on the "recent sinister development" and add there have been "alarming rates of failure" in treatment.
Prof Dondorp said the treatment was failing around a third of the time in Vietnam while in some regions of Cambodia the failure rate was closer to 60 per cent.
If resistance to the drugs reached Africa it would have devastating consequences, as 92 per cent of all malaria cases are found there.
Prof Dondorp added: "It's a race against the clock – we have to eliminate it before malaria becomes untreatable again and we see a lot of deaths.
"If I'm honest, I'm quite worried."
Malaria is a massive issue for a huge section of the world’s population.
Though rare in Europe and North America, it is a huge problem for Africa, South and Central America and Southern Asia.
In these countries it is important to take extra care to avoid mosquitoes, or take anti-malarial medication to prevent infection.
Malaria is treated with drugs known as anti-malarials and vary depending on the type and severity of the disease.
If quickly diagnosed and properly treated people with malaria can usually expect to make a full recovery.
But the severe form of the disease can progress at a terrifying speed and can kill a person within hours or days.
Though if they can overcome the disease, most people beat it for good, but some can experience reoccurring symptoms through their life.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at email@example.com or call 0207 782 4368. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.