Malarial Ecology, Transmission, Immunology, Parasitology and Prophylaxis in Kenya.
Abstract
Over the past 25 years, the U.S. Army and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) have participated jointly in medical research projects. Although the scope of the work has changed from an initial interest in trypanosomiasis to current efforts which focus almost exclusively on malaria research, the collaboration has remained strong and has resulted in significant advances for the understanding and control of tropical diseases in Kenya and East Africa in general. This report summarizes the collaborative effort for calendar years 1996 and 1997. Malaria is a potentially lethal parasitic infection of the blood which is spread by the bite of the female anopheline mosquito. Unprotected or non-immune persons who are bitten by an infective mosquito develop a febrile disease which can incapacitate and kill in a few days. Unfortunately, humans do not easily develop immunity to malaria infection and repeated illness is the rule. Treatment with drugs can effectively cure most infections, but the spread of drug resistance has made treatment and prevention much more difficult. Understanding the mosquito vector can better define the spread of malaria which, under the proper human and climatic conditions, can be truly epidemic. Kenyan people carry an enormous burden of malaria disease and western Kenya, where much of the work summarized in this report was conducted, is one of the most malarious regions of the world.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA337815
Entities
People
- Davy K. Koech
Organizations
- Kenya Medical Research Institute