Malaria is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites, and it is most commonly seen in tropical locales in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Each year, malaria kills more than a million people, The World Health Organization says, who contract the disease after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Given its severe consequences, not to mention flu-like symptoms---which on the mild end of the spectrum include nausea, fever and chills---it's important to avoid contracting the disease in the first place.
Preventing Bites
Because mosquito bites can lead to malaria, preventing bites in the first place is key. Anyone traveling to regions where malaria is a problem should use insecticide-laced mosquito netting and insect repellent and consider spraying an insecticide indoors (a method often referred to as indoor residual spraying). It's also best to eliminate any standing water, because that is where mosquitoes lay eggs.
Preventative Drugs
Currently, there isn't a vaccine to prevent malaria. However, preventative drugs can be taken on a daily or weekly basis. (These are the same drugs that would be given to someone who has the disease, only at a lower dosage.) Among the modern-day medications that have been used to prevent malaria are Mefloquine, Doxycycline and Atovaquone and Proguanil combined; medication is prescribed based on what the parasites in a particular region are resistant to. Anti-malarial drugs should be taken a few weeks prior to arriving at the destination and for a week or more upon return.
Vector Control
In addition to using netting and spraying oneself with insecticide, other vector control methods should be considered. There are simple things that can be done by individuals, such as using window screens. On a larger scale, however, chemical insecticides can be applied to larval habitats. Less problematic for the environment, however, is placing biodegradable oil on the surface of larvae and pupae-filled water to suffocate the larvae and pupae. Biological control agents also can be applied, and mosquito growth regulators like methoprene can be used. In the case of large bodies of water, mosquito fish can be introduced. Fogging or spraying an area generally is a last resort, because it isn't always considered effective because mosquitoes tend to hide out of reach.
