The Seeds of Malaria

Recent evolution cultivated a deadly scourge

The statistics are grim. The parasites that cause malaria infect 300 to 500 million people annually. As many as 3 million of these will die of the disease this year, making it humanity’s deadliest infection. Nearly half the world’s population lives in countries where malaria epidemics occur, and as the parasites’ resistance to drugs grows, the toll is expected to steadily worsen.