Malaria

Malaria persists despite efforts for global eradication and vaccine development, and continues to prove lethal in endemic regions. The neurological manifestations of malaria are often devastating, with a high mortality rate and significant morbidity in survivors. A major life threatening complication of malaria infection is cerebral malaria (CM), most commonly occurring in children in sub-Saharan Africa and adults in Southeast Asia. There should be a high suspicion for CM in patients who present in coma residing in or having recently traveled to malaria endemic regions. Other neurological manifestations posing significant morbidity include postmalaria neurological syndrome and side effects due to antimalarial medications. Discussions in this chapter are focused around the neurobiology of malaria infection, and the host- and pathogen-related factors that contribute to neurological manifestations of the mosquito-borne illness.