kaushans

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation calling attention to the problem and boldly stating that the infection COULD be eradicated has been a game changer for the field.

There are multiple species of the malaria parasite, some of which lie dormant in the liver for weeks, months or even years after you are initially infected by mosquito bite. In Thailand, both Plasmodium falciparum (which does not have a dormant form) and Plasmodium vivax (which does, and thus can recur) are present.

We think Seattle is a major hotbed for malaria research because of the amazing, globally-minded community in and around the city, and because of the top-notch, innovative and collaborative research happening on many topics here. This combination has led to many groups based here to adopt malaria as a major focus, and also attracted groups to the area. This includes us at Seattle Children's, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, PATH, Infectious Disease Research Institute and others. We are truly lucky to be doing such important work in such a vibrant, collaborative environment!

Vector control efforts have been successful in some areas of low to modest transmission, for example, the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. However, in areas where mosquito populations are dense, and in some cases resistant to insecticides, it is likely that a multifaceted approach including the use of drugs, vaccines and mosquito control is needed. Controlling the mosquito population comes with its own challenges: for example, bednets intended for mosquito control and impregnated with insecticides are often used for fishing, and this can contaminate the water that is essential for maintaining the livelihood of the community.

The population at risk for malaria is a result of the species of mosquitoes that are present around the world. A population is at risk if it co-habitates with Anopheles mosquitoes. While currently approximately 40% of the world's population lives in an area that has Anopheles mosquitoes, climate change is leading to a redistribution of multiple species of mosquitoes, and this could lead to additional parts of the population being at risk for malaria.