Malaria Close to But Not
p. 126 · Read in the full issue
in Australia
MALARIA surveys were made in the Torres Straits Islands and adjacent mainland of Australia in 1949, 1952 and 1953.
The eastern Torres Islands were found to be normally free from malaria, but an epidemic of pure P. falciparum infection occurred on Murray and Darnley Islands in 1952. By 1953, the infection had dis appeared from Murray, but had per sisted on Darnley Island. The natives showed considerable racial tolerance to their infection.
In the western islands, a few cases of malignant tertian malaria were found on Boigu and Dauan, close to the New Guinea coast. Saibai, which is also very close to New Guinea, was remarkably free from infection. Two quartan infections were found at Kubin, on Moe Island.
P, vivax was seen only once, in a native of Saibai living on Cape York.
No malaria was found in Aus tralian natives in settlements on the mainland near Cape York, nor in other native settlements in the Gulf of Carpentaria. There is no evidence that malaria is now endemic anywhere on the mainland of Australia. — South Pacific Com mission Bulletin.