Historical Development of Our Understanding of the Cause and Prevention of Malaria

Deadly fevers which could be linked to Malaria have been recorded since the beginning of history (between 6000 and 5500 B.C.) although it is believed that Malaria started having a major impact on the survival of humans since the start of agriculture about 10000 years ago.
Approximately 2500 years ago Hypocrites wrote of Malaria and divided the fever into different types: Quotidian (daily), Tertian (alternate days) and Quartan (every fourth day). Believed to have originated in the Mediterranean, Malaria seems to have been spread by European settlers and slaves within the last 500 years creating epidemics around the world. …