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Eliminating Malaria

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Eliminating Malaria

Brown 1
Malaria was first discovered in ancient times. The cause of Malaria was discovered by French scientist Alphonse Laveran in 1880 and 20 years later the type of mosquito responsible for the transmission was discovered by scientists in Italy and India. There is no malaria vaccine that has been proven to be effective and researchers all over the world are working to find a vaccine that will eventually eliminate malaria. Despite the obstacles, they are optimistic that a vaccine is in reach. Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium and it is transmitted by certain types of mosquitos. Once bitten, the parasite targets liver cells and then proceeds to target red blood cells (RBCs). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), “Because the malaria parasite is found in RBCs, malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria also may be transmitted from a mother to her fetus before or during delivery” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 12).
Malaria is very uncommon in the United States; however, it is still widespread in tropical and subtropical countries. It is mainly a problem in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific regions. According to Dr. Ananya Mandal:
In 2010, according to the World Health Organization, there were 216 million episodes of malaria and 655,000 deaths worldwide. Of these deaths around 91% were seen in the African Region, followed by the South-East Asian Region (6%),

Brown 2 and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (3%). About 86% of deaths globally were in children.
The healthcare system in these regions is familiar with treating malaria. After being infected, symptoms usually appear within seven to fifteen days. Symptoms include fever, chills, and

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