The term malaria originates from Medieval Italian: mala aria—"bad air"; the disease was formerly called ague or marsh fever due to its association with swamps and marshland.
The first record of malaria-like symptoms occurred as early as 2700 BC from China.
Tutankhamun's mummified body contains the oldest known genetic proof of the existence of malaria.
Mosquito netting has a long history. It is said that Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, slept under a mosquito net.
Malaria plagued most of Europe and North America for centuries when the climate allowed mosquitoes to thrive. It is no longer endemic, though imported cases do occur.
Malaria may have contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire and was so pervasive in Rome that it was known as the "Roman fever".
The first record of malaria-like symptoms occurred as early as 2700 BC from China.
Tutankhamun's mummified body contains the oldest known genetic proof of the existence of malaria.
Mosquito netting has a long history. It is said that Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, slept under a mosquito net.
 |
| By No machine-readable author provided. Soman assumed (based on copyright claims). Wikipedia Commons |
Malaria plagued most of Europe and North America for centuries when the climate allowed mosquitoes to thrive. It is no longer endemic, though imported cases do occur.
Malaria may have contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire and was so pervasive in Rome that it was known as the "Roman fever".
Gin and tonic was created in the 1800s when gin was mixed with water and sugar to mask the bitter anti-malaria ingredient quinine.
In the 1850s British explorer Sir Richard Burton called Somalis superstitious for believing mosquitoes caused malaria
After studying bacteriology in London in the late 1880s, British physician Sir Ronald Ross (May 13, 1857 – September 16, 1932), returned to Calcutta, India, where his father had served as a British army officer. Intrigued by the theory that mosquitoes transmitted malaria, Ross undertook an investigation of the long-known disease. Using birds that were already sick with malaria, Ross located in 1897 the malaria parasite in the spotted winged Anopheles mosquito. He revealed that the ailment is carried in the mosquito's salivary glands and transferred to healthy birds through biting them.
The last British case was in 1953 in Stockwell, South London, possibly from mosquitoes in a stagnant water tank.
Tu Youyou (b December 30, 1930), a woman with no medical degree, anonymously found the cure for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 1977—38 years later, she was given the Nobel Prize. Tu says she was influenced by a traditional Chinese herbal medicine source, The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergency Treatments, written in 340 by Ge Hong.
World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on April 25 and recognizes global efforts to control malaria. April 25 was designated as Malaria Awareness Day in 2007 by President George W. Bush, who called on Americans to join in on the goal to eradicate malaria on the African continent.
In the 1850s British explorer Sir Richard Burton called Somalis superstitious for believing mosquitoes caused malaria
After studying bacteriology in London in the late 1880s, British physician Sir Ronald Ross (May 13, 1857 – September 16, 1932), returned to Calcutta, India, where his father had served as a British army officer. Intrigued by the theory that mosquitoes transmitted malaria, Ross undertook an investigation of the long-known disease. Using birds that were already sick with malaria, Ross located in 1897 the malaria parasite in the spotted winged Anopheles mosquito. He revealed that the ailment is carried in the mosquito's salivary glands and transferred to healthy birds through biting them.
 |
| Ronald Ross By Unknown - Wikipedia Commons |
The last British case was in 1953 in Stockwell, South London, possibly from mosquitoes in a stagnant water tank.
Tu Youyou (b December 30, 1930), a woman with no medical degree, anonymously found the cure for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 1977—38 years later, she was given the Nobel Prize. Tu says she was influenced by a traditional Chinese herbal medicine source, The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergency Treatments, written in 340 by Ge Hong.
 |
| Tu Youyou (right) and her teacher Lou Zhicen (left) in 1951 |
World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on April 25 and recognizes global efforts to control malaria. April 25 was designated as Malaria Awareness Day in 2007 by President George W. Bush, who called on Americans to join in on the goal to eradicate malaria on the African continent.
In 2020 there were 241 million cases of malaria worldwide causing 627,000 deaths in 85 countries. 77% of deaths were among children under the age of 5 living in the WHO African Region.
In 2021 619,000 people died of malaria. 95% of global cases occurred in the Africa Region.
Scientists say malaria could return to Europe and North America thanks to the increasingly warm weather and the fact that it can be spread by several native species.
Some scientists believe that one out of every two people who have ever lived have died of malaria.
 |
| Malaria clinic in Tanzania. By Olympia Wereko-Brobby - Saving Lives with SMS for Life, Wikipedia Commons |
Only certain species of Anopheles mosquito can transmit malaria – and they must be female.
During a TED talk about Malaria, Bill Gates opened a jar full of mosquitoes onstage and released them into the audience saying; "there's no reason only poor people should have to experience this."
They made sure none of the mosquitoes had malaria before doing so.
Source Daily Mail
No comments:
Post a Comment