I was reading a WWII unit diary (American) on Sunday and was struck by the fact that there were recorded cases of Malaria.. 2/3 most days. This was in Normandy through to the German boarder.

I am surprised as this seems high and at the rate noted it was the biggest cause of manpower loss, even if was temporary. I did notice an occasional entry for large numbers of hospital returnees (several days worth of cases each time.)

I wasn't aware of Malaria being that close to home, or was this an euphanism for something else?

Either way did this happen in WWI - (cases of Malaria) or (euphanisms in unit diaries)

Llandodlad

Malaria was a great problem at Salonika. Large areas of swampy ground were only patrolled, not occupied. Quinine was issued daily to the troops.

Llandodlad

Malaria is a great traveller. You may be surprised to hear that at one time (prior to WW1) the Norfolk Broads were a real hot spot for the disease. Thankfully not now.

Gunner Bailey

This quote 'In metropolitan France, malaria was endemic until the beginning of the 20th century in marshy areas such as the Landes, the Dombes, Brittany, Alsace, the Rhone delta, Roussillon and Corsica.' is based on this paper:

Rodhain F, Charmot G. Evaluation des risques de reprise de transmission du paludisme en France. Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses. 1982;12:231–236.

'Then, [malaria] decreased drastically due to the drying of marshes, growth of livestock, improvement of housing and life conditions and the use of quinine. The last outbreak was observed in Corsica from 1966 to 1972, with about 30 Plasmodium vivax cases. Malaria disappeared from the Camargue after World War II. Nowadays, all the malaria cases reported in France are only imported cases, excepted for three suspected, but not-confirmed, autochthonous cases in 2006 (Doudier, unpublished data).'

Robert

Hi All

I am researching a man who was in Salonika and had a number of admissions for malaria
I know it was treated with quinine, but would be very gratefull for any further info on the treatment of malaria

Many thanks

Dianne

Both my father and my grand-father contracted malaria in WW I, both in 1915, my father at Gallipoli, my grand-father in Russia. My father seemed to shake it off fairly well (although shortly before he died in 1980 he felt poorly and wondered if it had come back), but to some degree it broke my grand-father's health and he had to perform staff duties closer to or in Germany for the rest of the war, and not serve at the front.

A friend contracted malaria in down-town Leningrad perhaps in the 1970's, but then one of the glories of Socialism was the "eradication" of malaria in the USSR, and a doctor might even be in political trouble for diagnosing a case in the USSR at that time. A bit of an obstacle to effective treatment.

Bob Lembke

I met a soldier at the RLC depot who was getting MD in 2003/4 with Malaria he contracted out in Kosovo.

Anyone doing research on malaria should look at the medical sheets in MH106/2091 (Malaria) 255315-255843, at the NA.

all very true, my grandfater served in salonika from 1916-19, his discharge papers are full of hospital visits post war and his pension - disability of 30% mainly due to maleria which my family remembers him having each summer even well after the war
matt

I can't remember where I read it, but I believe a large number of men brought back from the Med area in early 1918 (after the german Offensives on the Western front) had to be rested, suffering from the effects of malaria.

The old Salonika Reunion Association's magazine was called, I believe, The Mosquito

There used to be many areas in Western Europe where malaria or malaria like diseases persisted. Walcheren fever for example laid low many British troops (4,000 dead) in the Napoleonic wars. Walcheren Island at the mouth of the Scheldt is to the north of Flanders

HaHa! How appropriate is that!

themonstar,

Can you give us an idea of what is in them?

Andrew

It wouldn't surprise me if the cases of malaria cited in the initial post among American troops in Normandy in 1944 were from a division that had previously served in North Africa or Sicily.

Because of its delayed action and recurrent nature it is sometimes difficult to tell where it was contracted. My first attack was in Britain after I had returned from Nigeria (and yes I had taken all the prophylactics prescribed - they are not 100% effective) - no one recognised what it was! It was put down to a really really bad attack of influenza. My second attack was 28 days later when I was in Oman and everyone knew what it was. So its quite possible that they picked it up elsewhere. On the other hand a form of Malaria (under a different name) was once endemic in parts of Normandy and perhaps lingered. Similarly the form later known as Walcheren Fever was once present in parts of Flanders in the Middle Ages and again it is possible that it lingered. Local populations often become inured to it and its the incomer who gets it badly.

Malaria in what we consider to be the "developed world" still breaks out from time to time and was much more common in centuries past. Today it's considered to be environmentally unsound to drain swamps and pools of stagnant water but those steps taken in the past probably helped to eliminate the breeding grounds for mosquitos. Today "travelers' malaria" occasionally happens when mosquitos hitch rides on international flights. There were malarial mosquitos in the vicinity of Dulles Airport in Virginia a few years ago but the malaria they transmitted wasn't the deadly Plasmodium falciparum type.

Before WWI there were thousands of UK service personel who had served in the East Indies: India and the island colonies; the Persian Gulf, SomaliLand... During WWI amongst the theatres listed there were others where malaria was a risk, such as: East, North, Southern and West Africa; Mesopoamia; the Pacific (such as the capture of Samoa) and fighting on the Eastern Front.

Malaria killed a large proportion of the population of Romney Marsh in Kent until the Royal Military Canal was built in 1806 thus draining the marsh. Dengue Marsh on Romney Marshes gives its name to Dengue Fever prevalent these days in tropical countries. There is even talk, probably misplaced that Malaria might return to the Marsh with rising temperatures.

This could only happen if someone came to Britain with already carrying Malaria and was then bitten by a mozzy from the Marsh

That is possible, also is the transport of infected mosquitoes.

Thanks for all of this

I was initially suprised at how prevalent malaria was in Salonika. I've read the service papers of a few men that served in Salonika and the common strand appears to be malaria!
I'm even more suprised to see how close to the UK it has been in such recent times
Any other treatment for malaria other than quinine?

Dianne

Today yes, then probably not. One of the problems was that quinine in any quantity tastes foul (its OK in tonic water where the amount is small - especially if you add a nice gin and some ice!) and difficulty was had in getting men to take it regularly. There is a well known photo of a quinine parade in Salonika where its being drunk on command.

'Quineeeeeeeennnnne, wait for it Thomkins, Glug'

The Chinese favor using a drug called artemisinin made from the plant Artemisia annua.

Was it available then?

I believe the Chinese have used it for a long time but it's only fairly recently that the rest of the world has learned about it. Today chloroquine is the drug of choice, but the sensitivity of malaria parasites to it is declining; mefloquine is indicated in those cases.

Edit: Click here for more information on treatment.

By WW2 they were using mepacrene (sp?) tablets which again were taken under supervision.

Centurion - "This could only happen if someone came to Britain with already carrying Malaria and was then bitten by a mozzy from the Marsh"


Not so, the malaria mosquito was indemic in Essex and Kent in the middle ages onwards, my GP informs it is still possible to contract malaria in the UK in historically infested areas, they are just not reported.

The best way of treating malaria is recognising that you have it, sounds obvious. But, taking prophelactics only masks the fact that you do have it, not to mention some nasty and in some cases dangerous side effects from the modern tablets.


Roop

[quote name='truthergw' date='Feb 13 2009, 11:05 AM' post='1119262']
By WW2 they were using mepacrene (sp?) tablets which again were taken under supervision.

We used o get one mepacrin tablet a day, doled out by an N.C.O.after a while it turned your skin, mixed with the sun tan a ...... .....shade of yellow

Cliff.

My step-Father who was a National Serviceman and served in the Korean War contracted malaria. Possibly in Egypt where he was also stationed.

He occasionally suffers from re-current bouts although not for a few years now.

Not sure if pills were prescribed but I can ask him.

Cheers

Mike Tomkinson
Bradford

One problem with some malaria tablets is that they can effect short term memory so you can forget to take them unless prompted (but who prompts the NCO to take his? - theres a Latin tag here ipso custodies etc) They can also damage the ability to do simple arithmetic. Fortunately the effects fade when you stop taking them but they can be dangerous "now did I put a round in the breech?"

True-- Mefloquine is probably the worst one out there in terms of mental effects. Most militaries will not allow pilots to fly if taking Mefloquine. Doc

My grandfather contracted malaria while serving on mauritius in the late 1890's and suffered with it his whole life. In April 1917 he was evacuated from Belgium during a serious attack and spent almost 8 months in hospital. He was then given only limited duties until discharge in 1919. he later emigrated to Canada and became a postman for many years. I remember him having attacks in the 1950's.
Horrible...

My grandad had recurrent malaria, and I presume he caught it in the notorious Salonika campaign. Are there any hospital records for that era, and how long would they be out of action with this illness?

Malaria at this time was a very common illness. Many hundreds and possibly thousands of ex-soldiers who had served abroad would have suffered from it. It is a recurrent fever and the treatment would depend on the severity of the attack. A mild bout would simply be worked off, as we would work off a bad cold. Haig suffered from it and before the war, took the waters at various continental spas. He was diagnosed with an enlarged liver, quite possibly a result of malaria. He was typical of the majority of men who had served in India. Granda would be put on light duties if the MO thought it was bad enough and only hospitalised for a really severe attack.

A couple of quotes for you:

Firstly from my Great Uncle's war Diary. This covers his time in Egypt and Palestine 1917-1919. "I am sorry to say we have just had the news of 3 deaths of men who went to Hospital at Haifa with Malaria, which turned out to be Malignant Malaria. One of them was a Corporal Aldridge my Canteen Corporal & a man whom I therefore saw a great deal of. I am awfully sorry."

Secondly from a book "The Fourth Horseman" by Andrew Nikiforuk. (An interesting book about the history of pestilence, and full of potentially outrageous assertions). "Since the beginning of history malaria has killed half of the men, women and children that have died on the planet. It has outperformed all wars, all famines and all other epidemics."

Food for thought? Jim

Salonika army indeed suffered heavily from malaria but was not that deadly. About 600 soldiers died in the Salonika area in 3 years. Prevention actions included drainage operations in marshy areas and movement of troops from malarious localities whenever military considerations permitted. Rapid means of prevention was the provision of mosquito nets for bivouacs and tents. During the summer of 1917, Army Headquarters issued mosquito netting for protection of the head and neck, gloves for the hands and shorts with turndown flaps. For treatment of malaria cases, provision of quinine was the only treatment. Daily dose was 5 or 6 grains from 1st of June to September.

Hope that I have answered some questions.

Gerryl

It is correct to note that the malaria prophylaxis does not stop you hosting malaria parasites, it just inhibits their ability to multiply enough to make you sick. Which is why when you leave a malaria infested area you continue to take the medication for at least a month.

Now there are a number of prophylaxis which will be prescribed depending on the drug resistance of the local malaria strain.

There are now better treatments too, than there were in 1914 - 1918 which is why people get recurring malaria less often. For example a course of chloroquine will be taken over three days in combination with primaquine The chloroquine will kill off the rampant malaria and the primaquine will kill off the latent parasites which used to cause reinfection. The Chinese treatment - artimetre or artesinate - has apparently been around for a long time but only commercially available in comparatively recent times, it is an excellent treatment sans the horrible side effects of quinine.

I am pretty pretty sure that the mosquito which carries malaira parasite would still be there in Europe but the issue is the mosquito needs to have recently bitten someone who has malaria and still have traces of the parasite in blood which it can then pass on. The mosquito is just a vector.

one thing that would not have changed though is that, prophylaxis and treatment aside, some people are less susceptible to malaria than others. Some people get it more and others less and some get very sick and take longer to recover.

I have had it a number of times over the last 10 years and each experience has been different. I think again, then as now, the secret is to eat well and sleep well and avoid being bitten. However in front line conditions and in transit camps that would be easier said than done.

Sorry if this got a bit off topic

I can't find the reference at the moment but I read recently that they had to consider not just large areas of standing water and bog but everything down to the size of a hoof-print that could hold enough moisture for the mosquito larvae to survive. Comparing modern and period maps shows just how much river-canalisation has taken place through what were boggy areas.

The Salonika Army suffered in its early days through being attached to the command in Egypt. Stores for Salonika could be unloaded during stops at Alexandria and requests for equipment from Salonika were denied, from mosquito nets to improved aircraft types.

Keith

My great grandfather fought in Macedonia in a Bavarian unit and when I was a child, my grandma recited him telling that several of his comrads had died of malaria. Back then I did not fully believe it because I thought that malaria was a tropical disease. Very interesting thread!

My father contracted it at Gallipoli, serving with the Turkish Army, in 1915, and in the same year my grand-father, a staff officer, contracted it in the bogs of Russia, and to some degree it broke his health, and he had to stop serving at the very front and did staff assignments in or closer to Germany for the rest of the war. The Eastern Front was horribly unhealthy.

I have obtained some German documents relating to my father's volunteer pioneer company at Gallipoli, and one of them documents a medical officer ordering, for the use of the pioneer company, the standard medical supply kit for a cavalry regiment, plus some other medical supplies and equipment. The medical supplies for a regiment for the care of one company! When the company of 200 men arrives, in a few weeks 80% were disabled from disease. My father arrived as a replacement.

Bob Lembke

At one time, malaria extended all the way to England. You can trace the main endemic areas by the patterns of haemoglobinopathies. The most widely known is sickle cell disease, which affects a high proportion of people living in sub-saharan africa. SCD affords protection against malaria. Less well known is the distribution pattern of the thalassaemias. These are a group of haemoglobin disorders that also offer some protection against malaria. They are found most commonly in the mediterranean and middle eastern regions.

Robert

in the early 50s in MALAYA we took a paladrin tablet daily ..there were three cases of malaria during my two
years there ..and all three had stopped taking the paladrin tablets ..

My Great Uncles WW1 records show that he was sent home from France with Shrapnel wounds which were attributed to war action but it also states he contracted malaria which was not attributed to war service although he only ever served at Home or in France as far was I can tell and had never otherwise travelled abroad and there was no record of him ever having suffered prior to his military service.