Ross

__ Malaria __ Malaria is a vector-borne (carried by mosquitoes) infectious disease that is prevalent in hot, humid tropical areas found close to the equator. Each year more than 515 million people become infected and between one and three million people, mainly children, die each year.

The disease is caused by the protozoan parasites of which only four can affect humans. Only the Anopheles mosquito can carry and transmit malaria. The mosquito passes on the disease by biting an infected person giving the mosquito the parasite and then when it bites another victim it gives away some of the parasites gained. The malaria parasite feeds off of a victims red blood cells and damaging the healthy cells preventing the flow of oxygen in the victim’s blood.

 Graphic showing the distribution of malaria throughout the world. Notice how the most afflicted areas are typically third world countries.

The main symptoms of malaria are a fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, anemia, and convulsions. There are several different drugs that exist to defeat a malaria infection including chloroquine, quinine, and amodiaquine. Chloroquine has been the malaria drug of choice for several years because of its low cost and high efficiency. This use has led to chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria especially in Asia and some parts of Africa. The three main methods of malaria prevention are prevention-oriented (prophylactic) drugs which are usually lower doses of drugs used to treat malaria, eliminating mosquitoes in the area, and prevention of mosquito bites. Currently there exists no vaccine for malaria although there is an active scientific effort to find a cure.