The etymology of malaria is from Medieval Italian: mala aria—“bad air” and could have, according to historians, even contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire due to vectors flourishing in southern Italy, Sardinia, the Pontine Marshes, lower coastal Etruria and Rome itself. The disease, caused by infected Anopheles mosquitoes has been traced back by thousands of years. The first reference was found in documents from 2700 BC China. There are four types of malaria: Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium falciparum.
Symptoms: High fever and chills followed by sweating.
Treatment: The first three types are mild and respond to treatment easily. The fourth one (Falciparum) requires early diagnosis (by blood test) and active treatment as it can cause kidney failure, jaundice and unconsciousness, apart from reduction in the blood counts. Most cases of malaria respond to anti-malarial drugs such as artemether.
Prevention: Stagnant water is the main source for breeding of mosquitoes. So, prevent water collecting in discarded bottles, coconut shells, broken pots etc. Also, keep mosquitoes away by using nets and repellents.