New York, Aug 24 (PTI) Scientists have claimed that the human trails for the first genetically engineered malaria vaccine will start early next year.

An international team from the US, Japan and Canada has developed a weakened strain of the malaria parasite which they claim will be used as a live vaccine against the disease.

The vaccine has already worked perfectly on laboratory mice.

Lead scientist Alan Cowman of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute said in developing the vaccine the team had deleted two key genes in the Plasmodium falciparum parasite -- which causes the form of malaria most deadly to humans.

By removing the genes, the malaria parasite is halted during its liver infection phase, preventing its invasion of red blood cells where it can cause severe disease and death, 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' reported.

Malaria claims more than one million people each year.