In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis is transmitted by Phlebotomus sergenti and Ph. papatasi. Vector control is mainly based on environmental management but indoor residual spraying with synthetic pyrethroids is applied in many foci of Leishmania tropica. However, the levels and distribution of sandfly susceptibility to insecticides currently used has not been studied yet. Hence, this study was … [Read more...]
Malaria in KwaZulu Natal
QUESTIONHow many people are infected by malaria in KZN?ANSWERBy "KNZ" I assume you mean KwaZulu Natal (for the benefit of other readers, this is a region of South Africa, in the north-eastern portion of the country). KZN is one of the few parts of South Africa that experiences malaria transmission, though effective control measures have reduced its impact as a public health threat. … [Read more...]
Does Malaria Still Exist?
QUESTIONdoes malaria still exist?ANSWERYes, malaria still exists, and is responsible for 250 million cases of illness every year, of which about 700,000 result in death. So it is a very serious global health problem!Some countries, such as the United States, have managed to successfully eliminate malaria through a combination of vector control strategies (i.e. spraying for … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention
QUESTIONwhat is the prevention of malaria?ANSWERThere are many ways in which to prevent malaria. I'll break them down into three categories: 1) medical prevention, 2) protection from getting mosquito bites and 3) vector control.1) Medical preventionMalaria can be prevented using certain medications. Taking drugs to prevent a disease is known as "chemoprophylaxis", and so these … [Read more...]
Malaria Eradication and Water Quality
QUESTION:How will the eradication process of the mosquito larva influence the quality of the water?ANSWER:That's a very interesting question. The answer is that it depends a lot on the way in which the mosquito larva are controlled. The usual, traditional method is through the application of insecticides. Many of these are known to have severe negative effects on water quality, … [Read more...]
Malaria in Southern United States
QUESTION:Why is there not a prevalence of malaria in the southern United States when we are bitten almost daily by the "little beasts?"ANSWER:Malaria once was relatively common in the southern United States. Transmission used to be possible due to the favorable climatic conditions for the development both of the mosquito as well as the malaria parasite. Huge advances in the control and … [Read more...]