Malaria and the Caribbean
Encyclopedia
The effects of malaria
in the Caribbean represent an important chapter of the history of the region, due to its effects on the colonization of the islands and the corresponding impact on society
and economy
.
During the early exploration of the Caribbean islands, there was no immunity
of the local nativa population against diseases which were brought by European
and African immigrants. Although the Caribbean today is considered “a tropical paradise”, the islands contributed a perfect level of moisture
and heat
to facilitate the spread of viral
and bacterial organisms that led to the death of a large number of people. Because of the rare contact between races in the 15th century complete immunities were unable to be developed and those that were still caused some to be at least mildly affected by the disease.
For example, before this time of exploration
and travel, the Caribbean natives of the islands had never been exposed to malaria
. Therefore, when the Europeans and African slaves began to inhabit the islands, the natives were greatly affected by it and died in astonishing numbers. Due to their genetics, the African slaves had somewhat of an advantage over the white, wealthy settlers: partial immunity was present to falciparum malaria. This malaria affected children and immigrants on some islands but not all. One contracts this disease by being bitten by an Anopheles
mosquito
which can be found on Africa and the Americas. Falciparum malaria sickens the human by attacking the human’s red blood cells and the parasite remains within the victim’s body for life which allows the cycle to continue. This malaria affected predominantly the adult European voyagers rather than predominantly the African slaves.
The Caribbean countries whose inhabitants were the most affected were the Greater Antilles
islands and other humid islands like Martinique
and Trinidad and Tobago
. Because Anopheles mosquitoes thrive mostly in areas of humidity and water, the disease was not found on islands such as the Bahamas and Antigua
. Serving as somewhat of an enemy on the islands, malaria continued to attack the white settlers and prevent them from reaching their ultimate goals of exploration and wealth. The Creole
s felt, in this way, that diseases such as malaria were prevention tools from their territories being invaded by Europeans.
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in the Caribbean represent an important chapter of the history of the region, due to its effects on the colonization of the islands and the corresponding impact on society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and economy
Economic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...
.
During the early exploration of the Caribbean islands, there was no immunity
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
of the local nativa population against diseases which were brought by European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
and African immigrants. Although the Caribbean today is considered “a tropical paradise”, the islands contributed a perfect level of moisture
Moisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
and heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
to facilitate the spread of viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
and bacterial organisms that led to the death of a large number of people. Because of the rare contact between races in the 15th century complete immunities were unable to be developed and those that were still caused some to be at least mildly affected by the disease.
For example, before this time of exploration
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
and travel, the Caribbean natives of the islands had never been exposed to malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. Therefore, when the Europeans and African slaves began to inhabit the islands, the natives were greatly affected by it and died in astonishing numbers. Due to their genetics, the African slaves had somewhat of an advantage over the white, wealthy settlers: partial immunity was present to falciparum malaria. This malaria affected children and immigrants on some islands but not all. One contracts this disease by being bitten by an Anopheles
Anopheles
Anopheles is a genus of mosquito. There are approximately 460 recognized species: while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria in humans in endemic areas...
mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
which can be found on Africa and the Americas. Falciparum malaria sickens the human by attacking the human’s red blood cells and the parasite remains within the victim’s body for life which allows the cycle to continue. This malaria affected predominantly the adult European voyagers rather than predominantly the African slaves.
The Caribbean countries whose inhabitants were the most affected were the Greater Antilles
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles are one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico, the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.-Greater Antilles in context :The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as...
islands and other humid islands like Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Because Anopheles mosquitoes thrive mostly in areas of humidity and water, the disease was not found on islands such as the Bahamas and Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
. Serving as somewhat of an enemy on the islands, malaria continued to attack the white settlers and prevent them from reaching their ultimate goals of exploration and wealth. The Creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
s felt, in this way, that diseases such as malaria were prevention tools from their territories being invaded by Europeans.