Malaria in humans is mainly caused by infection with five Plasmodium species (Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P.knowlsi). In 2015, an estimated 214 million new malaria cases and 584 000 deaths were recorded globally due to malaria. The ability to accurately detect malaria infection in all individuals and in all populations is fundamental to achieve elimination and era...

In the past decade there has been a significant reduction in malaria incidence globally. In some places continuous surveillance has indicated that the reduction in malaria cases has been sustained to the point of near elimination. The drastic reduction in malaria cases may be attributed to the unprecedented financial support to national malaria control programmes by several donors. The use of i...

Several questions on public health impact have arisen from the discovery of a large focus of the simian malaria parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi, in the human population. P. knowlesi malaria is not newly emergent and was overlooked until molecular tools to distinguish between P. knowlesi and the morphologically similar Plasmodium malariae became available. Knowlesi malaria is a zoonosis that is wi...

UNLABELLED The overall picture of health in sub-Saharan Africa can easily be painted in dark colours. The aim of this viewpoint is to discuss epidemiological data from Tanzania on overall health indicators and the burden of malaria and HIV. Is the situation in Tanzania improving or deteriorating? Are the health-related millennium development goals (MDG) on reducing under-five mortality, reducin...

Because of concern about the possible reintroduction of malaria transmission in Italy, we analyzed the epidemiologic factors involved and determined the country's malariogenic potential. Some rural areas in central and southern Italy have high receptivity because of the presence of potential malaria vectors. Anopheles labranchiae is probably susceptible to infection with Plasmodium vivax strain...

Malaria is the major parasitic infection in many tropical and subtropical regions, leading to more than one million deaths (principally young African children) out of 400 million cases each year (WHO world health report 2000). More than half of the world's population live in areas where they remain at risk of malaria infection. During last years, the situation has worsened in many ways, mainly ...

The four volcanic islands of the Comoros archipelago are an area of intense, stable and permanent malaria transmission, almost exclusively with Plasmodium falciparum. Our purpose is to describe the current situation on malaria in Mayotte and Comoros in 2015, after the implementation of various strategies of control during the past 15 years. In 2015, Mayotte is in the phase of elimination of mal...