Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium - when infected mosquitoes bite the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Even though this potentially fatal disease can be prevented and cured, each year 350-500 million cases of malaria still occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in Africa south of the Sahara, where one in every five (20%) childhood deaths is due to the effects of the disease.

Malaria is so common in Africa because a lack of resources and political instability have prevented the building of solid malaria control programs. Experts say an African child has on average between 1.6 and 5.4 episodes of malaria fever each year and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) as many as half of the world's population are at risk of malaria mainly in the world's poorest and most vulnerable countries and every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria.

What is Malaria?

Malaria is an infectious disease of tropical countries. It is spread by mosquitoes. It is manifested by fever along with chills and rigors. Unless it is diagnosed and treated promptly, it can be fatal. A single mosquito bite may be enough to cause the infection.

Malaria Causes

Malaria Mechanism

Malaria Diagnosis

Malaria Prevention

Malaria Treatment

Malaria Epidemiology

Malaria History

Malaria Society And Culture

Malaria Symptoms

Malaria: A Force Shaping Blood Cell Evolution?

Latest Malaria News and Research

World's largest resource of genome variation data on malaria parasites released

Genome variation data on more than 7,000 malaria parasites from 28 endemic countries is released today (24 February) in Wellcome Open Research.

24 Feb 2021

Covid strikes clergy as they comfort pandemic’s sick and dying

The Rev. Jose Luis Garayoa survived typhoid fever, malaria, a kidnapping and the Ebola crisis as a missionary in Sierra Leone, only to die of Covid-19 after tending to the people of his Texas church who were sick from the virus and the grieving family members of those who died.

23 Feb 2021

Countries with older populations have higher SARS-CoV-2 infections and deaths, says study

A new study examines some patterns revealed by a study of the factors operating in different regions and countries, to offer plausible hypotheses of these variations.

23 Feb 2021

Eating low-quality diet during pregnancy is linked to late-childhood obesity

Eating a low quality diet, high in foods and food components associated with chronic inflammation, during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of obesity and excess body fat in children, especially during late-childhood. The findings are published the open access journal BMC Medicine.

21 Feb 2021

Interval between doses of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine can be safely extended to 3 months, suggests study

A 3-month interval between doses of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine results in higher vaccine efficacy than a 6-week interval, with the first dose offering 76% protection in the 3 months between doses.

20 Feb 2021

Antimicrobial resistance to critical drugs spirals in low- and middle-income countries

As antibiotic use grows in lower-income countries so does antibiotic resistance, says report.

20 Feb 2021

New test can help eliminate mosquito-borne disease

After nearly a decade of research, a new test that detects the magnetic properties of malaria-infected blood could soon be used to help eliminate the mosquito-borne disease.

19 Feb 2021

Cone snail venom could potentially treat severe forms of malaria

Severe forms of malaria such as Plasmodium falciparum may be deadly even after treatment with current parasite-killing drugs.

18 Feb 2021

Development of malaria vaccines deserves urgent attention just like COVID-19

Developing vaccines to fight malaria deserves urgent attention just like COVID-19, argues Damaris Matoke-Muhia.

17 Feb 2021

What are the changes in the physical phenotype of blood cells in COVID-19?

While primarily a respiratory illness, there are distinctive alterations in the type and number of blood cells in COVID-19. A new study by a team of researchers in Germany describes the nature of these changes.

16 Feb 2021

Scent detection dogs can be used to screen and identify COVID-19-infected individuals

In a recent article in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, authors gathered previously published research to summarize current thinking on the feasibility and efficacy of using scent detection dogs to screen for the COVID-19 virus.

11 Feb 2021

Duration of delirium in critically ill patients predicts mortality and disability

Delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction, is widespread in critically ill patients in lower resourced hospitals, and the duration of delirium predicted both mortality and disability at six months after discharge, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

11 Feb 2021

COVID-19 pandemic and nanotechnology

Writing in the International Journal of Nanomedicine, Professor Dongki Yang, from the Department of Physiology, Gachon University, South Korea, has reviewed the available knowledge on the coronaviruses, current approaches to tackle the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the innovative application of nanotechnology in the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Feb 2021

Research shows intestinal parasite infestations reduce COVID-19 severity

Now, new research out of Mekelle, Ethiopia, examines the role of parasitic infestation on the prognosis of COVID-19. The research paper, which appears on the preprint server medRxiv, shows that intestinal parasitosis is protective against severe COVID-19.

4 Feb 2021

Phase 1 clinical trial of novel HIV vaccine approach shows promising results

A phase 1 clinical trial testing a novel vaccine approach to prevent HIV has produced promising results, IAVI and Scripps Research announced today.

3 Feb 2021

Study could help understand mechanisms of drug molecules to mitigate COVID-19 infection

As the scientific community continues researching the novel coronavirus, experts are developing new drugs and repurposing existing ones in hopes of identifying promising candidates for treating symptoms of COVID-19.

3 Feb 2021

Scientists engineer potent trivalent inhibitors of thrombin

Thrombosis, the clogging of blood vessels, is a major cause of heart attacks and embolism. Scientists have now engineered the first inhibitors of thrombin, a protease promoting thrombosis, that is three-fold efficient.

29 Jan 2021

Researchers uncover traces of malarial adaptation in African people

Malaria is an ancient scourge, but it's still leaving its mark on the human genome. And now, researchers have uncovered recent traces of adaptation to malaria in the DNA of people from Cabo Verde, an island nation off the African coast.

29 Jan 2021

R&D lacking on emerging infectious diseases, report finds

As research into COVID-19 swells, R&D on other infectious diseases is seriously lacking, report finds.

27 Jan 2021

Certain malaria parasites use a mechanism to cross the blood–brain barrier

Malaria is one of the most common causes of death in children in Africa and is triggered by a small parasite that lives in the blood. When the parasite builds up in the blood vessels of the brain, it develops into one of the most dangerous forms of the disease, cerebral malaria.

27 Jan 2021