Philip J. Rosenthal, MD

An experimental vaccine against malaria that uses live-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites showed promise in a small human challenge trial, researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers reported more promising data on a malaria vaccine that previously demonstrated high efficacy among children aged 5 to 17 months in a study published last year.

A two-decade study of the impact of treated mosquito bed nets for malaria control in Tanzania found that the benefits of using the nets in early childhood persisted into adulthood, assuaging some immunity-related fears.

Researchers identified Plasmodium falciparum that is resistant to artemisinin — the main component of first-line treatments for malaria in endemic areas — among a small group of patients in northern Uganda. 

A malaria vaccine candidate was up to 77% efficacious among children aged 5 to 17 months after 12 months of follow-up, according to findings from a phase IIb trial that were published on The Lancet’s preprint server.

Surpassing the previous record of cases reported for 2016, the United States reached another all-time high with 2,161 confirmed cases of malaria in 2017, data published in MMWR showed.

Malaria has been one of the most important infectious diseases of humans for millennia. Our understanding of malaria has progressed steadily, from the discovery of the parasite by Laveran and the elaboration of its life cycle by Ross, both in the late 19th century, to progress in characterizing malaria clinical features and epidemiology through the 20th century, to an explosion in our understanding of parasite biology, vector mechanisms and host responses in recent years. But has all this progress in our understanding of malaria gotten us closer to eradication of this deadly disease?

As is the case with many infectious diseases, drug resistance is a major problem in malaria. In particular, Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent human malaria parasite, has demonstrated resistance to all available antimalarial agents. Of particular concern is resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy, now the standard to treat uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Resistance to both artemisinins and partner drugs has been demonstrated in Southeast Asia, increasing treatment failure in that region and fueling fears that resistance will spread to other areas.

Hepatitis C virus infection remains a significant health issue, affecting more than 4 million people in the United States.

Malaria has been one of the most important infectious diseases of man through human history. Local successes in malaria control led to elimination of the disease in most of the non-tropical world, but success stalled after the 1960s. More recently, with increased political will, funding from public and private donors, and some valuable new tools, advances in malaria control have been seen in many areas.