By Maria Jorgensen

 Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans.  Four kinds of malaria parasites can infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Infection with P. falciparum

 The World Health Organization estimates that each year million cases of malaria occur  1 million people die of malaria each year  Most deaths occur in young children.  In Africa, a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds.

 Malaria is still a major public health problem in Brazil, with approximately registered cases in 2009  In the early 1940s, around six million cases of malaria occurred each year.  As a result of the fight against the disease, the number of malaria cases decreased over the years and the smallest numbers of cases to-date were recorded in the 1960s.  From the mid-1960s onwards, Brazil underwent a rapid and disorganized settlement process in the Amazon and this migratory movement led to a progressive increase in the number of reported cases.  Although the main mosquito vector (Anopheles darlingi) is present in about 80% of the country, currently the incidence of malaria in Brazil is almost exclusively (99.8% of the cases) restricted to the region of the Amazon Basin, where a number of combined factors favors disease transmission and impair the use of standard control procedures.

 Fever  Flu-like illness: including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur.  Anemia  Jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes)  Kidney failure  Seizures  Mental confusion  Coma  Death

 Anyone can get malaria. Most cases occur in people who live in countries with higher malaria transmission rates. People from countries with no malaria can become infected when they travel to countries with malaria or through an infected blood transfusion. Mother to child transmission also can occur before or during delivery.

Malaria is still a major public health problem in Brazil, with approximately registered cases in 2009, but it is estimated that in the early 1940s, around six million cases of malaria occurred each year.

 Malaria can be treated with prescription medications Atovaquone Proguanil

 Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented.

 Take anti-malarial drugs to kill the parasites  Spray insecticides on your home’s walls  Sleep under bed nets – especially effective if they have been treated with insecticide  Use insect repellent and wear long- sleeved clothing if out of doors at night

 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in the planning and implementation of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a $1.2 billion initiative to rapidly scale up malaria control interventions in 15 African countries.  Center for Disease Control and Prevention Conduct scientific and operations research in malaria-endemic countries to improve understanding of best practices for prevention and treatment of malaria. Provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and local disease prevention and control partners (e.g., the national malaria control program, the reproductive health program responsible for maternal health, the child health program) to strengthen malaria control activities. Work with key multilateral and bilateral Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partners (e.g., World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on malaria control programs.

 Bradt, S. (2011, November 15). Managing Malaria, Beating the Mosquito in the Amazon Jungle. Harvard University Center for the Environment, 3(1). Retrieved September 23, 2014, from mosquito-amazon-jungle  Malaria Atlas Project. (2010). Brazil. Retrieved September 22, 2014, from Endemic Countries: Malaria Risk:  Medicines for Malaria Venture. (2013). Malaria in Brazil. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from N.pdf  Oliveira-Ferreira, J., Lacerda, M. V., Brasil, P., Ladislau, J. L., Tauil, P. L., & Daniel-Ribeiro, C. T. (2010). Malaria in Brazil: an overview. Malaria Journal, 9(115), Retrieved September 21, 2014, from  United Against Malaria. (2014). Malaria.com. Retrieved September 23, 2014, from United Against Malaria:  World Health Organization. (2013). World Malaria Report World Health Organization. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from