MALARIA

Infectious disease involving many million of people, caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium transmitted by the sting of the Anopheles mosquito or by a contaminated needle or transfusion. The name comes from the Italian mal'aria for bad air; the disease was thought due to bad air wafting from the swamps. Among the many names for malaria: are ague, jungle fever, marsh or swamp fever, and paludism.