History of malaria millennium BCE in Greece and China. For thousands of years, traditional herbal remedies have been used to treat malaria. The first effective treatment for malaria came from the bark of cinchona tree, which contains quinine. After the link to mosquitos and their parasites were identified in the early twentieth century, mosquito control measures such as widespread use of the insecticide DDT, swamp drainage, covering or oiling the surface of open water sources, indoor residual spraying and use of insecticide treated nets was initiated. Prophylactic quinine was prescribed in malaria endemic areas, and new therapeutic drugs, including chloroquine and artemisinins, were
Diagnosis of malaria microscope and centrifuge that can be deployed to rural areas in the third world. "Plasmodium malariae" and "P. knowlesi" (which is the most common cause of malaria in South-east Asia) look very similar under the microscope. However, "P. knowlesi" parasitemia increases very fast and causes more severe disease than "P. malariae", so it is important to identify and treat infections quickly. Therefore, modern methods such as PCR (see "Molecular methods" below) or monoclonal antibody panels that can distinguish between the two should be used in this part of the world. For areas where microscopy is not available, or where laboratory