I contracted malaria a few times during my travels, but the last time I nearly perished from a resistant strain I caught in Irian Jaya. For two and half years, I had re-occurrences every three months. I discussed my problem with specialists in the States, Europe and Asia. In this page, my intention is to educate people about the dangers of Malaria, but also on the responsibilities of all travelers in the third world to do their part to both stay safe and not perpetrate resistant strains amongst the local people. The concern is not only to protect one's self from the painful effects of the disease, but also to be aware of the severe impacts traditional preventative measures for visiting tourists can have on the native population.
Malaria is said to be the most important parasitic disease that afflicts humans today.
Malaria transmission occurs in an estimated 100 countries where 2 billion people are at risk of malaria infection. P. falciparum and P. vivax are the most common and pathogenic forms of malaria. Malaria Prevention, a controversial subject Health Travel Clinics will warn you about malaria infection. They are right, your life is at risk in most tropical countries. But before you listen to their advice and start taking those prophylaxis medicines, you should be aware of what it entails.