Malaria is probably the most important parasitic disease of mankind which had a profound effect on our civilization since antiquity due to its high morbidity and mortality. The first evidence of malaria parasites was found in mosquitoes preserved in amber from the Palaeogene period that are approximately three crore years old.
The history of malaria stretches from its prehistoric origin as a zoonotic disease of the primates of Africa. Humans may have originally caught the malarial species P. falciparum from gorillas and P. vivax has also likely originated in African gorillas and chimpanzees. Another malarial species P. Knowlesi, originated in Asian macaque monkeys. The DNA of Plasmodium falciparum shows that modern humans were suffering from this disease before they left Africa at the dawn of human civilization.
Malaria protozoa have diversified into primate, rodent, bird, and reptile hosts. A widespread and potentially lethal human....
