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Where Malaria Occurs
Where does
malaria occur?
Malaria
typically is found in warmer regions of the world -- in
tropical and subtropical countries. Higher temperatures allow
the
Anopheles
mosquito to thrive. Malaria parasites, which grow and develop
inside the mosquito, need warmth to complete their growth
before they are mature enough to be transmitted to humans.
Malaria
occurs in over 100 countries and territories. More than 40% of
the world’s population is at risk. Large areas of Central and
South America, Hispaniola (the Caribbean island that is
divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Africa, the
Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and
Oceania are considered malaria-risk areas.
Yet
malaria does not occur in all warm climates. For example,
economic development and public health efforts have eliminated
malaria from the southern United States, southern Europe,
Taiwan, Singapore, and all of the Caribbean islands (except
Hispaniola). Some Pacific islands have no malaria because
Anopheles
mosquitoes are not found there.
Why is
malaria so common in Africa?
In Africa
south of the Sahara, the principal malaria mosquito,
Anopheles gambiae,
transmits malaria very efficiently. The type of malaria
parasite most often found,
Plasmodium falciparum,
causes severe, potentially fatal disease. Lack of resources
and political instability can prevent the building of solid
malaria control programs. In addition, malaria parasites are
increasingly resistant to antimalarial drugs, presenting one
more barrier to malaria control in that continent.
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