Malaria -- a New Cause for Concern?

Malaria -- a New Cause for Concern?

Malaria has long been thought of as the bane of travelers to and residents of the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe alone. According to the Center for Disease control, every 30 seconds in Africa a child dies of this disease. ("Malaria," CDC, 2004) It is easy to forget that the construction of the Panama Canal was made possible only after yellow fever and malaria were controlled in that North American area. But will global warming made this formerly prevalent illness resurgent in the United States? ("Malaria: History," CDC, 2004)

The CDC's discussion of the distribution of the ailment states that where malaria is found depends mainly on climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall levels. "Malaria is transmitted in tropical and subtropical areas," specifically where mosquitoes are prevalent, and the malaria parasites can complete their growth cycles in mosquitoes, which then affect humans. ("Malaria: Geographical Conditions" CDC, 2004)

Those who worry about global warming will be alarmed to read that temperature is particularly critical to facilitating the spread of malaria. For example, at temperatures "below 20°C (68°F), Plasmodium falciparum (which causes severe malaria) cannot complete its growth cycle in the Anopheles mosquito, and thus cannot be transmitted." ("Malaria: Geographical Conditions" CDC, 2004) Thus, the more the temperature drops below a certain level during certain points of the year, as it is currently apt to in most of the United States, the less likely malaria may occur -- hence malaria's current confinement to the tropic zone.

Even within tropical and subtropical areas, transmission will not occur during cooler seasons in deserts, and at high altitudes. In many temperate areas, such as Western Europe and the United States, economic development and public health measures have succeeded in eliminating malaria. Hence, the CDC classifies the region as having no risk for the ailment, and thus no inoculations for travelers or precautionary measures for malaria need by taken. However, most of these areas have Anopheles mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, and according to the CDC, reintroduction of the disease is a constant risk if temperatures are above normal for long periods of time and appropriate health care measures are not taken to contain the spread of the virus.

Before fears regarding global warming cause one to predict a rapid-fire spread of the ailment, it is worth remembering that even today, there are areas of the United States where temperatures are low enough for long enough stretches to allow for the completion of the life cycle of the ailment. And even the most die-hard advocate of global warming's dangers should remember that temperature alone is not enough to cause a spread of the ailment -- there would have to be a profound shift in water levels and a disregard for public health measures in the United States that are now routine. Malaria affected 30% of the Southern region's human population in 1933. Then, the United State's President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill that created the Tennessee Valley Authority on May 18, 1933. "The law gave the federal government a centralized body to control the Tennessee River's potential for hydroelectric power and improve the land and waterways for development of the region." ("Malaria: History," CDC, 2004) One of the results of the TVA was that an organized and effective malaria control program was created from this new authority in the Tennessee River Valley. During World War II, the Malaria Control in War Area was established to control malaria around military training bases in the Southern United States and its territories, where malaria was still problematic. Many training bases were established in areas where mosquitoes were abundant and during these activities, MCWA also trained state and local health department officials in malaria control techniques and strategies. ("Malaria: History," CDC, 2004) If global warming proved problematic, such measures might need to be instituted -- but as they are of relatively recent memory, a cynic might be apt to exclaim that as awful as this tropical ailment may be, it is easier to contain and treat for an industrialized non-tropical nation than the United States, than some of the other long-lasting effects of pollution.