Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Malaria
Abstract
Many consider malaria to be the most important infectious disease in the world. It is estimated that 2.1 billion people live in areas of the world where malaria is transmitted, there are 100 to 300 million new cases of malaria, and 1 to 2 million deaths are caused by malaria every year. In the past decade the severity of the malaria problem has worsened in many parts of the world because of resistance of parasites to antimalarials; resistance of the vectors, anopheles sp. mosquitoes, to insecticides; socioeconomic problems that have led to a decreased capacity to optimally use existing tools to combat the disease; and movement of nonimmune populations into areas where malaria is transmitted. Malaria exacts its greatest toll in the developing countries of the tropics and subtropics; however, the recent dramatic increase in international travel to countries where malaria is transmitted, including an estimated 7 million Americans per year (H. Lobel, personal communication, 1991), has led to malaria becoming a problem for many individuals who had thought the disease was wiped out. In fact, as many as 30,000 American and European travelers probably contract malaria every year.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA261609
Entities
People
- Stephen L. Hoffman
Organizations
- Naval Medical Research Center