The United States Army and malaria control in World War II. 2000

C W Hays
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma College of Public Health, PO Box 26901, 801 Northeast 13th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190, USA.

The United States Army faced difficult malaria control problems both at home and abroad during World War II. This challenge forced the Army to develop new tools and strategies for use in malarious areas where fighting was occurring. Due to the severe malaria problems being faced in some combat areas and the need to solve these problems quickly, intensive malaria research and operational programs were developed and implemented. With these concerted efforts and the simultaneous development of new control technologies, malaria was successfully controlled in most locations. In order to accomplish this high level of control both in the US and overseas, the Army developed a very organized approach to the malaria problem and implemented it in an effective manner. The creation of new technical solutions was also strongly emphasized and out of this effort came the development of effective antimalaria drugs to replace quinine, of new insecticides and of more effective systems for delivering these insecticides. Some of the major new tools which came out of this research were DDT and drugs such as Atabrine and chloroquine. The availability of Atabrine and DDT revolutionized malaria control throughout the world. The knowledge and experience gained through the use of these new tools by the US Army and other agencies in World War II provided the basis for a new optimism regarding malaria control which then led to the development of the global malaria eradication strategy in the post-war years.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007306 Insecticides Pesticides designed to control insects that are harmful to man. The insects may be directly harmful, as those acting as disease vectors, or indirectly harmful, as destroyers of crops, food products, or textile fabrics. Insecticide
D008288 Malaria A protozoan disease caused in humans by four species of the PLASMODIUM genus: PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM; PLASMODIUM VIVAX; PLASMODIUM OVALE; and PLASMODIUM MALARIAE; and transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito of the genus ANOPHELES. Malaria is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, Central and South America, Oceania, and certain Caribbean islands. It is characterized by extreme exhaustion associated with paroxysms of high FEVER; SWEATING; shaking CHILLS; and ANEMIA. Malaria in ANIMALS is caused by other species of plasmodia. Marsh Fever,Plasmodium Infections,Remittent Fever,Infections, Plasmodium,Paludism,Fever, Marsh,Fever, Remittent,Infection, Plasmodium,Plasmodium Infection
D008887 Military Medicine The practice of medicine as applied to special circumstances associated with military operations. Medicine, Military
D009032 Mosquito Control The reduction or regulation of the population of mosquitoes through chemical, biological, or other means. Control, Mosquito
D011634 Public Health Branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and control of disease and disability, and the promotion of physical and mental health of the population on the international, national, state, or municipal level. Community Health,Environment, Preventive Medicine & Public Health,Environment, Preventive Medicine and Public Health,Health, Community,Health, Public
D011796 Quinacrine An acridine derivative formerly widely used as an antimalarial but superseded by chloroquine in recent years. It has also been used as an anthelmintic and in the treatment of giardiasis and malignant effusions. It is used in cell biological experiments as an inhibitor of phospholipase A2. Mepacrine,Acrichine,Atabrine,Atebrin,Quinacrine Dihydrochloride,Quinacrine Dihydrochloride, Dihydrate,Quinacrine Dihyrochloride, (R)-Isomer,Quinacrine Dihyrochloride, (S)-Isomer,Quinacrine Dimesylate,Quinacrine Hydrochloride,Quinacrine Monoacetate,Quinacrine Monohydrochloride,Quinacrine Monomesylate,Quinacrine, (+-)-Isomer,Quinacrine, (R)-Isomer,Quinacrine, (S)-Isomer,Dihydrochloride, Quinacrine,Dimesylate, Quinacrine,Hydrochloride, Quinacrine,Monoacetate, Quinacrine,Monohydrochloride, Quinacrine,Monomesylate, Quinacrine
D003634 DDT A polychlorinated pesticide that is resistant to destruction by light and oxidation. Its unusual stability has resulted in difficulties in residue removal from water, soil, and foodstuffs. This substance may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen: Fourth Annual Report on Carcinogens (NTP-85-002, 1985). (From Merck Index, 11th ed) 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane,4,4'-DDT,4,4'-Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane,Benzochloryl,Chlorophenothane,TbisC-ethane,p',p'-DDT,4,4' DDT,4,4' Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane,TbisC ethane
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000962 Antimalarials Agents used in the treatment of malaria. They are usually classified on the basis of their action against plasmodia at different stages in their life cycle in the human. (From AMA, Drug Evaluations Annual, 1992, p1585) Anti-Malarial,Antimalarial,Antimalarial Agent,Antimalarial Drug,Anti-Malarials,Antimalarial Agents,Antimalarial Drugs,Agent, Antimalarial,Agents, Antimalarial,Anti Malarial,Anti Malarials,Drug, Antimalarial,Drugs, Antimalarial

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