malaria

Malaria is one of the worst sicknesses to affect humankind. For centuries there was no specific treatment, and it was not until the seventeenth century that Spanish colonisers brought back from Peru tree bark from which quinine was later extracted. In the twentieth century, synthetic alternatives to quinine were developed. Of these, chloroquine was the most successful, but by the 1970s widespread resistance had developed and the world was left without an effective treatment for malaria.

Malaria is one of the worst sicknesses to affect humankind. For centuries there was no specific treatment, and it was not until the seventeenth century that Spanish colonisers brought back from Peru tree bark from which quinine was later extracted. In the twentieth century, synthetic alternatives to quinine were developed. Of these, chloroquine was the most successful, but by the 1970s widespread resistance had developed and the world was left without an effective treatment for malaria.

International travel is increasing and a significant number of travellers will develop a febrile illness during or shortly after their return from the tropics. The differential diagnosis is broad and a systematic approach to the management of these patients is required in order to establish the diagnosis and to initiate prompt and effective treatment. Fever may be due to infectious agents found only in tropical countries, or due to infections unrelated to travel and found worldwide.