RT Book, Section A1 Barry, James David A2 Nelson, Lewis S. A2 Howland, Mary Ann A2 Lewin, Neal A. A2 Smith, Silas W. A2 Goldfrank, Lewis R. A2 Hoffman, Robert S. SR Print(0) ID 1163012781 T1 Antimalarials T2 Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies, 11e YR 2019 FD 2019 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259859618 LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1163012781 RD 2024/03/19 AB The malaria parasite has caused untold grief throughout human history. The name originated from Italian mal aria (bad air) because the ancient Romans believed the disease was caused by the decay in marshes and swamps and was carried by the malodorous “foul” air emanating from these areas.8 In the 1880s, both the Plasmodium protozoa and its mosquito vector were ­identified.8 Today, nearly half of the world’s population lives in areas where malaria is endemic. Despite markedly decreased mortality rates over the last 7 years, malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In 2015, there were 212 million estimated malaria cases, leading to 429,000 deaths.119 Most of these deaths were from Plasmodium falciparum infections of young children and primigravid pregnant women in Africa.15 Included among those at risk of becoming infected are 50 million travelers from industrialized countries who visit the developing countries each year. Despite using prophylactic medications, an estimated 30,000 of these travelers will acquire malaria.96