Robert Koch, malaria pioneer.

The role of Robert Koch in the early discoveries of the malaria lifecycle and the complex of diseases, the development of immunity, quinine prophylaxis and the mosquito theory has fallen into oblivion. As a mature and famous hygienist, Koch had travelled the Old World, where malaria was endemic. His first studies took place in Tanganyika, German East Africa (now Tanzania) in 1898 and thereafter in Italy and the East Asian archipelago.

Evidence and strategies for malaria prevention and control: a historical analysis.

Public health strategies for malaria in endemic countries aim to prevent transmission of the disease and control the vector. This historical analysis considers the strategies for vector control developed during the first four decades of the twentieth century. In 1925, policies and technological advances were debated internationally for the first time after the outbreak of malaria in Europe which followed World War I.

[Treatment of syphilis with malaria or heat].

Until the end of the Second World War, syphilis was a common sexually transmitted infection. This stigmatising infectious disease caused mental decline, paralysis and eventually death. The history of syphilis was given public attention because of 'malaria therapy', which had been applied from the First World War onwards in patients with paralytic dementia.

Experimental, therapeutic and natural transmission of Plasmodium vivax tertian malaria: scientific and anecdotal data on the history of Dutch malaria studies.

When Plasmodium vivax tertian malaria was prevalent in The Netherlands, the use of therapeutic malaria for the treatment of neurosyphilis patients presented an opportunity for biological studies of the parasite's behaviour, in healthy volunteers. One unexplained phenomenon was the long latency between natural exposure to a single infected mosquito and the appearance of clinical signs (average 8 months). Dutch studies with volunteers and syphilis patients, suggested that hundreds of sporozoites transmitted by several mosquito bites were enough to provoke an early attack, known from tropical vivax-malaria.

Duration of the mosquitocidal effect of ivermectin.

Background: Ivermectin (IVM) reduces the lifespan of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes after feeding on humans treated with IVM. If this effect is sufficiently long and strong, IVM could form part of a drug combination that not only treats malaria patients but also reduces onward transmission. Limited data are available on the exact duration of the mosquitocidal effect of IVM; daily mosquito feeding assays are required for this.

Paradigm shifts in malaria study and control.

The history of the study of malaria, its parasites and vectors, and aspects of public health and control has shown some irregularities. Mostly the research was a steady accumulation of knowledge, but there were also deadlocks, fundamental disagreements and sometimes a drastic reorientation. In this article we follow the major events, some of the investigators involved, and how they promoted their ways of the fight against this disease.

Naturally acquired immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum sexual stage antigens Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 in an area of seasonal transmission.

Acquisition of immunity to Plasmodium falciparum sexual stages is a key determinant for reducing human-mosquito transmission by preventing the fertilization and the development of the parasite in the mosquito midgut. Naturally acquired immunity against sexual stages may therefore form the basis for the development of transmission-blocking vaccines, but studies conducted to date offer little in the way of consistent findings. Here, we describe the acquisition of antigametocyte immune responses in malaria-exposed individuals in Burkina Faso.

The plasticity of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytaemia in relation to age in Burkina Faso.

Background: Malaria transmission depends on the presence of gametocytes in the peripheral blood. In this study, the age-dependency of gametocytaemia was examined by microscopy and molecular tools.

Methods: A total of 5,383 blood samples from individuals of all ages were collected over six cross sectional surveys in Burkina Faso.

Substantial contribution of submicroscopical Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte carriage to the infectious reservoir in an area of seasonal transmission.

Background: Man to mosquito transmission of malaria depends on the presence of the sexual stage parasites, gametocytes, that often circulate at low densities. Gametocyte densities below the microscopical threshold of detection may be sufficient to infect mosquitoes but the importance of submicroscopical gametocyte carriage in different transmission settings is unknown.

Methodology/principal Findings: Membrane feeding experiments were carried out on 80 children below 14 years of age at the end of the wet season in an area of seasonal malaria transmission in Burkina Faso.

Seasonal patterns of Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte prevalence and density in a rural population of Burkina Faso.

Gametocytes are the malaria parasite stages that secure the transmission from the human host to the mosquito. The identification of natural parameters that influence gametocyte carriage can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of the sexual stage parasites for transmission reducing strategies. A total of 3400 blood slide readings were done during four cross-sectional surveys (2002-2003) including all age groups to determine the effect of season on Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in a seasonal malaria transmission area of Burkina Faso.

Age-dependent distribution of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes quantified by Pfs25 real-time QT-NASBA in a cross-sectional study in Burkina Faso.

Sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum play a key role in the transmission of malaria. Studies on gametocytes are generally based on microscopic detection, but more sensitive detection methods for P. falciparum gametocytes frequently detect sub-patent gametocytes.

[Thijsse, teacher of nature, teacher of malaria].

The start of organised malaria control in The Netherlands originated from an epidemic that became apparent in 1919. Shortly thereafter the Commission for Malaria Control realised the need for involvement of the population in the endemic area of North-Holland province. Education and propaganda would make them alert to reduce the risk of infection and aware of the need for medical diagnosis and treatment.