Occupational malaria in Thai Rangers: epidemiological, clinical and immunological features

Malaria continues to be a serious disease threat to soldiers deployed in tropical environments. Distinct features of the disease and the host immune response require that malaria occurring in occupational groups be investigated separately from the infection as found in endemic populations. For the first time since the Vietnam War, malaria has been systematically studied in soldiers under combat conditions. In this report we describe characteristics of malaria as experienced by Thai Rangers operating on the Lao-Cambodian border.