Malaria

The Malaria topic includes research on the causative pathogens, transmission, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the mosquito-borne infectious disease known as malaria.

Malaria is caused by infection with the parasite Plasmodium, which is carried by mosquitos and transmitted through their bite. Although malaria deaths and the global malaria burden have declined in the 21st century thanks to mosquito-control measures, progress against the disease has stalled as mosquitos have developed resistance to insecticides and anti-malarial drugs.

Plasmodium resurges seasonally with its mosquito hosts and has a multistage life cycle, which complicates its eradication. The parasite initially migrates to the liver and only causes active disease when it leaves the liver and enters the blood for its next stage. Some drugs designed to kill liver-stage parasites are effective against known infection, but diagnosis typically occurs in the blood stage when an acute illness appears.