The Spread of Malaria

How malaria is spread

• Malaria parasites are spread by infecting two hosts: the female anopheles mosquito and humans.

• The females mosquitos need a meal of blood so bite a human. If this human already has the parasite then the mosquito can infect another person by biting them.

• As it feeds the mosquito injects the human with sporozoites which attack red blood cells.

Physical factors encouraging the spread of malaria

• Air temperature of between 15 and 40 all year round.

• The vector of the female anopheles mosquito must be present for the transition of the parasite.

• Shaded areas as this is where the mosquito go to digest their meal.

• Stagnant water for the mosquito larvae to grow e.g. lakes and puddles

• Humidity of around 60% with frequent heavy rain.

Human factors the encourage the spread of malaria

• Increasing the amount of stagnant water by leaving storage pots uncovered, modern reservoirs stopping water from flowing freely, badly managed irrigation schemes can result in pools of stagnant water, dams reduce river flow thereby creating stagnant pools where water used to flow.

• Having an abundant human population increases the spread as without people the mosquito could not feed.

• Lack of investment in sanitation, health care and education encourages the spread of malaria.

• Migration has lead to spontaneous settlements that lack infrastructure such as schools and hospitals and drains in areas of marshland perfect for mosquitos.

• Medication not taken due to people trying to save money by buying less medication or farmers needing to work to stop their crops from failing ignoring their doctors orders and then the disease can be spread from these people.

• Lack of infrastructure such as roads and hospitals. No roads and people can’t get to hospital, no hospitals to treat patients, pot holes in roads serve as breeding ground for mosquito larvae.

• Tourists can catch the disease and spread it around the world.