Malaria: A Devastating Public Heath Concern

Malaria is primarily transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito.  There are between 30 to 40 Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the disease, and the primary actor depends on region.  The mosquito breeds in stagnant water and has four stages to its life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult.  The first three stages are aquatic.  The larvae are often found in buckets of water, ponds, or even puddles, leading to often ill-defined breeding grounds.  The malaria parasite requires incubation in the adult mosquito for about 10-21 days before it can be transmitted, this implying that the mosquito must be able to live this long in order to pass on the parasite.  The Anopheles mosquito feeds primarily at dusk and dawn or at night.  When not feeding, it usually rests on the inside or outside walls of houses.  The Anopheles mosquito is not harmed by the malaria causing parasite, for in order for the parasite to survive, it must be able to survive until it can get transmitted to a new host.                                   
               Landscape and climate are important factor in malarial outbreaks.  Most cases of malaria occur in Sub-Saharan Africa because of the warm climate.  The landscape and weather of an area largely determines the ability of the Anopheles mosquito to survive and breed.  The areas most highly affected are situated around the equator, with the majority of cases occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa.  These are regions where there are suitable breeding and feeding grounds for the Anopheles mosquito.  Due to the necessity of stagnant water for the larval stage of the mosquito, intermittent rainfall or continuous standing water is necessary, such as pictured to the left.  With recent trends in global warming there has been an increase in the number of cases of malaria and the susceptible regions.  The Anopheles can enter into regions that were once too cold, such as the highlands in Eastern Africa, regions where there is little or not protective immunity because the native peoples have not been traditionally exposed to malaria.