Malaria Is An Ancient Disease - 3140 Words

Background Malaria is an ancient disease. The name itself traces its origins to Medieval Italian: â€Å"mal aria† or bad air referred to a swampy area of Rome known as the Pontina that saw very high infection rates (Beltz, 2011). To this day, the disease continues to be one of the most important parasitic infections known to man. According to the World Health Organization, 3.4 million people may be considered at risk on a global scale and estimates indicate that there were 207 million cases in 2012 with 627,000 deaths (WHO, 2013). More than 85% of these cases occur on the continent of Africa as well as 90% of the deaths. In highly endemic regions, malaria is more of an issue of morbidity than mortality, although the majority of individuals may be parasitized at any given time only a minority exhibit severe symptoms (Marsh Snow, 1997). Instead these countries are at a significant economic disadvantage due to ill workers, lack of tourism and company investments, not to mention the educational loss future generations also incur. A febrile illness characterized by cyclic periods the length of which directly correlates to the parasite responsible; malaria is caused by five species of the genus Plasmodium, apicomplexan protozoa. These include P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi. Of these, the first two noted are the most prevalent with falciparum malaria being the most severe (Lopez Del Prado et al., 2014). A vectorborne disease, malaria is transmittedShow MoreRelatedMalaria Is An Infectious Disease1021 Words   |  5 PagesBackground Malaria is considered as one of the deadliest diseases around the world. The cases of malaria are getting worse and more serious especially in the African countries. Almost 40% of the world’s population could be affected by the disease. Malaria could cause over 1 million deaths each year and could result to enormous damages to human and social-being (Gething et al., 2014). Most of the international organizations concerning human health have been working on provisions for early the diagnosisRead MoreA Brief Note On Malaria And Its Effects On The Worlds Poorest1441 Words   |  6 Pagesto the Malaria Vaccine Institute, almost 600 million people suffer from malaria each year, and more than one million people die from this disease every year, the most deaths come from children younger than five. Malaria is endemic in over 100 countries, around 40% of the world population. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transferred by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Th e most deadly form of malaria is known as Plasmodium falciparum, almost all deaths from malaria are causedRead MoreParasitic Diseases Affecting The Worlds Poorest1467 Words   |  6 Pagessuffer from malaria each year, and over one million people die from this disease every year, mostly children younger than five. This disease is endemic to over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the South Pacific, almost 40% of the world population. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transferred by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The most deadly form of malaria is known as Plasmodium falciparum because almost all deaths from malaria are causedRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Malaria984 Words   |  4 PagesDescription of Malaria Malaria is caused by parasite, thus anti-biotic will not have effects on them. Infected mosquitoes spread it (Mayo Clinic). It can also be spread from mother to children through blood. However having a malaria-infected person nearby will not cause the disease to spread (WebMD). Malaria remains a prevalent health issue in the tropical area (WHO). In 2015, there are 214 million malaria cases reported, and the mortality rate is 60% (WHO). Typical symptoms of malaria include feverRead MoreMalaria Is A Disease That Affects The Worlds Poorest1436 Words   |  6 PagesCUNY Nobel Science Challenge Malaria is a disease that affects nearly 600 million people and causes more than a million deaths a year, the most coming from children under five. This disease is regularly found in more than 100 countries around the world and affects 40% of the world’s population. It is most commonly transmitted by an infected Anopheles mosquito. The most deadly form of malaria is known as Plasmodium falciparum because almost all deaths from malaria are caused by this specific oneRead MoreAncient Mystery of Malaria 1739 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Mystery of Malaria Malaria is a disease that has wrought history since the dawn of time itself. It has conquered some of the mightiest warlords in history including Tutankhamen, Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan. The earliest records of malaria symptoms date back to 2700 BCE, first described in the Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese medical script. The Chinese described the prominent symptoms of malaria, discussing the connection between recurring fevers and enlarged spleensRead MoreThe Effects Of Malaria On The Worlds Poorest1472 Words   |  6 Pagessuffer from malaria each year, and over one million people die from this disease every year, mostly children younger than five. This disease is endemic to over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the South Pacific, almost 40% of the world population. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transferred by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The most deadly form of malaria is known as Plasmodium f alciparum because almost all deaths from malaria are causedRead MoreA Nobel Science Challenge Of The Malaria Vaccine Institute1481 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Malaria Vaccine Institute, almost 600 million people suffer from malaria each year, and more than one million people die from this disease every year, the most deaths come from children younger than five. Malaria is endemic to over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the South Pacific, around 40% of the world population. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transferred by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The most deadly form of malaria is knownRead MoreDiseases Caused By Parasites Have Plagued Humankind For A Millennium1538 Words   |  7 Pages CUNY Nobel Science Challenge â€Å"Diseases caused by parasites have plagued humankind for a millennium and constitute a major global health problem. In particular, parasitic diseases affect the world’s poorest populations and represent a huge barrier to improving human health and wellbeing† Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is a prize for people who have most certain impacted mankind in allowing use to understand our bodies, cells, and diseases function. Speak of that later of that statementRead More Malaria Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesMalaria There are a great number of diseases that are endemic in many of the poorer, developing nations due to the lack of sanitation and disease prevention programs in these areas. The steady increase of malaria epidemics in many of the African countries is a point of great concern, because this continent is home to 90% of the world’s total cases of this particular disease. Malaria gets its name from â€Å"mal aria,† meaning bad air, because patients used to blame the sudden illness