Malaria Means Bad Air, and That Was the Wrong Theory
Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes. Its name records the old belief that it came from foul air near marshes.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The name is a fossil of a discarded theory: Italian *mala aria*, bad air, because the disease clustered around marshes and the swamp air was blamed. The parasite was identified in 1880 and the mosquito's role in 1897 — the name stayed anyway.
- A parasitic disease spread by mosquitoes. *Malaria remains a leading cause of death in children.*
- Malarial — relating to malaria. *A malarial region.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | malaria | Treated for malaria. |
| Adjective | malarial | Malarial swamps. |
| Related | mosquito | The Anopheles mosquito. |
| Related | parasite | A blood parasite. |
| Related | prophylaxis | Malaria prophylaxis. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He caught malaria while working in the delta.Uncountable.
- Bed nets cut transmission sharply.One of the most effective measures.
- Take the tablets before, during and after travel.Standard prophylaxis advice.
Facts worth knowing
- Plasmodium — the parasite genus responsible
- Anopheles — the only mosquitoes that transmit it
- Bed nets — treated nets are a mainstay of prevention
- Artemisinin — the basis of modern first-line treatment
- Vaccines — the first were recommended for wide use in the 2020s
From Italian *mala aria*, bad air, taken into English in the eighteenth century. The disease itself is ancient and appears in Greek and Roman medical writing under other names.
Is malaria caught from other people?
Not directly. It passes through mosquitoes, although it can be transmitted by transfusion or from mother to child.
Who worked out the cause?
Alphonse Laveran identified the parasite in 1880, and Ronald Ross showed in 1897 that mosquitoes transmit it.