Malaria and Climate Change Malaria is a potentially terminal blood infection caused by an organism of the genus Plasmodium which

is transmitted to humans through the bite of female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. When the issue of global warming broke into the world's consciousness two decades ago, the possible role of global warming in the spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases was raised. Rising environmental temperatures do not just permit the Anopheles mosquito to thrive and survive but in addition enable the malaria parasite to develop and finish part of its biological cycle within its insect host. As soon as the parasites develop and mature, they're then ready to attack humans when the mosquito takes its next blood meal. Signs and symptoms of malaria include: Fever Shaking chills Muscle aches Headache Stomach upset Vomiting Jaundice (yellowish coloration of the skin and eyes) Anemia (due to the loss and destruction of red blood cells) If not treated promptly enough, malaria could cause: Severe anemia and shock Renal failure Convulsions Coma Death There are more than 400 known Anopheles species, 30 to 40 of which transmit human malaria. Anophelines are normally found worldwide (except Antarctica). In the United States, there are 3 important Anopheline vectors: Anopheles freeborni in the west Anopheles quadrimaculatus in the eastern and central regions Anopheles pseudopunctipennis in the south Despite the fact that malaria has been eliminated in the United States since the 1950s, the mosquito vectors are still on the loose --- alive and well and breeding in huge numbers. Therefore,

this puts the continent and other similar geographic regions around the world where malaria has been eliminated at persistent risk of re-introduction of the disease. Malaria is a global killer: Every 30 seconds, a young kid succumbs to malaria somewhere in Africa --- 3000 young lives lost every single day. Each and every year, there are 300 to 500 million clinical cases of malaria --- 90 % of them in Africa. Prevalent in more than 100 countries, malaria kills between 1 to 3 million people every year. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no single antimalarial drug that is consistently effective against the malarial parasite and there is currently no malaria vaccine approved for human use. There are 5 species of human malarias: Plasmodium falciparum The most virulent of all human malarias Found worldwide in subtropical and tropical regions Causes severe malaria Infection might be mitigated by the presence of certain hemoglobin disorders, including sickle cell trait and thalassemia Plasmodium vivax Found mostly in Latin America and Asia Less virulent than Plasmodium falciparum Can lie dormant inside the liver (hypnozoites) and activate several months or years after the initial infecting mosquito bite Historically, individuals who don't express the Duffy blood group protein on their red blood cells were considered to be resistant to Plasmodium vivax. However, recent studies have shown that such is no longer the case, suggesting that the parasite is changing into more virulent strains that can overcome host defenses and carve unknown invasion pathways Plasmodium ovale Found mostly in Africa and Asia Similar to Plasmodium vivax, certain parasites can remain dormant inside the liver as hypnozoites and relapse several months or years later Plasmodium malariae Found worldwide Tends to have milder clinical signs and symptoms compared to falciparum, vivax and ovale malaria Can cause chronic infection if not promptly treated Plasmodium knowlesi

 Mainly found in Southeast Asia May cause severe disease Learn more about climate change and global warming and its worldwide impact by visiting http://www.thefinalrace.net/climatechange.html