First Malaria Discovery Commemorated World Mosquito Day In History Today, August 20, 1897

Anopheles Mosquito (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Every August 20, we commemorate World Mosquito Day. Because on this day, more than a century ago or in 1897, British doctor Sir Ronald Ross succeeded in revealing that the female Anopheles mosquito was the cause of malaria. In addition, mosquitoes can also transmit Zika, dengue fever, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, filariasis and many other diseases.

Citing the official website of the Nobel Prize, in 1892 Ronald Ross began conducting research on malaria to determine the existence of the parasite that causes malaria. Returning to India in 1895, Ross began his quest to prove Alphonse Laveran and Manson's hypothesis about mosquitoes causing malaria.

But his progress was hampered by the Indian Medical Service, which ordered him from Madras to the malaria-free neighborhood of Rajputana. Ross threatened to resign at the time because he had to be transferred. But the Government of India then put Ross on a special task for one year to investigate malaria.

On August 20, 1897 while in Secondaryabad, Ross conducted research as usual. But that day, was a day that changed history. He dissected the stomach tissue of the Anopheles mosquito that previously sucked malaria patients. Ross discovered the malaria parasite and later proved the role of the Anopheles mosquito in the spread of the malaria parasite in humans.

Mosquito collection (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

After that, he continued his research on malaria in India using a safer experimental model, namely birds. In July 1898, he discovered that mosquitoes could also serve as intermediate hosts for malaria in birds. After the mosquito sucked on a malaria-infected bird, he discovered that the malaria parasite developed inside the mosquito and migrated to the insect's salivary glands, allowing the mosquito to infect other birds.

Through his research, Ross continues to make major contributions to the discovery of other forms of malaria transmission. He also devotes his time and energy to many other activities, being a poet, writer, and painter. In particular, his poetic works earned him wide acclaim despite his medical and mathematical standing.

Thanks to his discoveries, Ross received many awards including the Nobel Prize and was given the honor of educated societies in most European countries and many other continents. He also received an honorary degree in Stockholm in 1910 on the centennial celebration of the Caroline Institute.

Ross' agility, perseverance, and persistence in seeking the truth caused friction with several of his fellow researchers. However, he has a wide circle of friends in Europe, Asia and America who respect him for his personality as well as for his genius.

Advertisement for quinine as a malaria drug in 1927 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Malaria in the World

According to the CDC's explanation, people who have malaria will suffer from high fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Four types of malaria parasites infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. In addition, P. knowlesi, a type of malaria that naturally infects apes in Southeast Asia, also infects humans, causing malaria that is transmitted from animals to humans. P. falciparum is the type of malaria that causes the most severe infections and if not treated promptly, can lead to death. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, disease and death from malaria is usually preventable.

Citing the WHO report in 2017, malaria transmission occurred in five WHO regions. Globally, an estimated 3.4 billion people in 92 countries are at risk of becoming infected with malaria and other developing diseases. As many as 1.1 billion people in the world are at high risk of contracting malaria in a year. According to the 2018 World Malaria Report, there were 219 million cases of malaria globally and 435,000 deaths from malaria. This figure represents a decrease in malaria cases and mortality rates by 18 percent from 28 percent in 2010. Malaria rates are highest in the African Region, where an estimated 93 percent of all malaria deaths occur. Children under 5 years old accounted for 61 percent of all deaths.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, the number of malaria cases has a downward trend. Citing the website of the Ministry of Health, malaria cases in Indonesia have decreased from 2010 to 2020. In 2010 positive cases of malaria in Indonesia reached 465.7 thousand, while in 2020 positive cases decreased to 235.7 thousand. The decline in malaria cases was also followed by a decrease in the Annual Parasite Incidence (API) which in 2010 reached 1.96 and 2020 reached 0.87.

In addition, the number of regions in Indonesia that have succeeded in eliminating malaria has also increased. In 2019 there were 300 districts/cities that succeeded in eliminating malaria, in 2020 it will increase to 318. The report also states that there are three provinces that have achieved 100 percent malaria elimination, including DKI Jakarta, East Java, and Bali. Meanwhile, the provinces with areas that have not yet achieved malaria elimination are Maluku, Papua, and West Papua.

*Read other information about TODAY's HISTORY or read other interesting articles from Putri Ainur Islam.

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