Malariaanditsills

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus. Symptoms include high fever, body aches, and, in more severe cases, seizures, hemorrhages, and death. The disease's highest incidence occurs in tropical forests and swampy regions, as these are breeding grounds for the vector mosquito. This ailment has been present in the Guanabara Bay region since time immemorial. The tropical climate and the construction of a city amid the Atlantic Forest favored the spread of the disease.

Until the mid-19th century, the most effective treatment for easing the disease's symptoms was ingesting quinine. This remedy, originating from the native peoples of Peru, had been used in the Americas since the 17th century and was exported to Europe.

"It is at dusk, when the horseflies invite the mosquitoes back home, and when the streaked gnat and the gray midge withdraw, that he appears, the pampa mosquito, with silver feet and checkered wings. He comes in through the windows, coming from the shards, from the cracks, from the taioba patches, from the banana groves, from all the waters, from anywhere.

— Watch out for the mosquito buzzing in my ears, Cousin!...

— It's the quinine playing tricks on you... You're taking too much of it...”

(Sarapalha, João Guimarães Rosa)

Malaria outbreaks in various regions of the country turned the disease into a matter of national interest and mobilized different medical centers to deepen their research. The Faculdade de Medicina do Rio de Janeiro stood out in these studies, and in the final decades of the 19th century, theses defended by its team of researchers helped map the causes and reactions of the protozoan in the human body. The results of this research enabled the first successful antimalarial campaign in the history of the disease, carried out by the sanitary physician Carlos Chagas in 1905, during the construction of the Docas do Porto de Santos.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of a medical class. In the foreground, a patient lies on a stretcher, covered with a white towel. On the right, a doctor, wearing a white coat, is explaining something to the group of students. The students are seated on benches, all wearing white coats and caps. Behind the students, there is a wall with shelves. In the bottom right corner, it is written "de la Gaille".

Despite the various campaigns to combat malaria and the intense sanitary control aimed at reducing the population of the vector mosquito, Rio de Janeiro still witnessed outbreaks of the disease at different times during the 20th century. In 1922, an outbreak killed 6,000 cariocas and caused great commotion. In the following years, newspapers announced the public authorities' efforts to combat the ills of malaria, eliminating the presence of the transmitting mosquito in the rural region of Santa Cruz. The disease was so present in medical debates that, at the 11th Pan American Sanitary Conference held in Rio de Janeiro in 1942, it was considered "the disease that has caused the most harm to the greatest number of nations in the world."

Jornal O Globo, Rio de Janeiro, October 1, 1998, page 14. Collection: O Globo.

Image description: The image is a newspaper page with text and illustrations about malaria. It is in black and white. At the top, there is a large, prominent headline: "The malaria mosquito is back." Below it, there is a smaller subtitle: "Seventh case of the disease recorded this year occurs in a forest area in Cachoeiras de Macacu." The article is written by Daniela Matta. The page contains several illustrations and text explaining the Anopheles mosquito, its life cycle, disease transmission, and symptoms. There are also instructions on protective measures and treatment.

Until the 1970s, mosquito vector control was carried out through the application of DDT-based insecticides, which were later abandoned due to the poison's environmental damage and possible carcinogenic effects. This method reduced the number of cases in urban centers, but they remained prevalent in rural and wild areas.

Belisário Penna (on the left) and others in front of the Guaratiba Health Post, between 1918-1923. Collection: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Casa de Oswaldo Cruz.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people in front of a building. On the left side, we see a person standing, followed by other human figures spread out in front of the building. The building has a light-colored facade with a sign that reads "Posto Sanitário." On the right, there are more people standing, including a man wearing a hat. The background shows dense vegetation.

Also known as “tertian fever,” malaria came back to haunt Rio de Janeiro between the years 1975 and 1995. In the second half of the 20th century, malaria outbreaks in Rio came to be considered endemic, that is, restricted to certain locations. In the 21st century, tourists and adventurers who visited the state's mountain region ended up infected by the protozoan, and the disease once again became a concern for residents of the urban center.