Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium vivax is a protozoal parasite and a human pathogen. This parasite is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring (Benign tertian) malaria, "P. vivax" is one of the five species of malaria parasites that commonly infect humans. Although it is less virulent than "Plasmodium falciparum", the deadliest of the five human malaria parasites, "P. vivax" malaria infections can lead to severe disease and death, often due to splenomegaly (a pathologically enlarged spleen). "P. vivax" is carried by the female "Anopheles" mosquito; the males do not bite.
Geography of Africa
The climate of Africa lends itself to certain environmental diseases, the most serious of which are: malaria, sleeping sickness and yellow fever. Malaria is the most deadly environmental disease in Africa. It is transmitted by a genus of mosquito (anopheles mosquito) native to Africa, and can be contracted over and over again. There is not yet a vaccine for malaria, which makes it difficult to prevent the disease from spreading in Africa. Recently, the dissemination of mosquito netting has helped lower the rate of malaria.