QUESTION What is the first infected person with Plasmodium? ANSWER Plasmodium, the single-celled parasite which causes malaria, has been infecting humans since ancient times. In fact, the first written reference to its symptoms dates back almost 5000 years, to an ancient Chinese manuscript! It was also known from the writings of other ancient peoples, such as the Greeks, Romans and … [Read more...]
Who Discovered Malaria?
QUESTION Who discovered malaria? ANSWER People have known about malaria for thousands of years—the first record of it comes from 2700 BCE, in an ancient Chinese medical text. Other ancient peoples, such as the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, also knew the symptoms associated with malaria. But it wasn't until the 19th century that the causes of malaria were understood. In 1880, a … [Read more...]
Origin of Malaria
QUESTION: What is the origin of malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium; different species cause the different forms of malaria we see in different parts of the world. Malaria has been in existence for millions of years; it likely evolved from similar infections in other apes. Ancient people recognised the symptoms of malaria as early as 2700 BCE, … [Read more...]