Mining-Associated Malaria Epidemics

Tropical alluvial gold and gem miners are often an especially at-risk population for malaria infection. Geographical areas of mining-associated malaria epidemics in the recent past include Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar); the Amazon basin (Brazil, French Guyana, Suriname, Columbia, and Peru); and tropical Africa. Mobile populations of young adult men engaged in the hard labor of mining may experience severe malaria especially if they lack preexisting immunity and are irregularly consuming antimalarial drugs. Particular problems occur because much of this informal mining activity is illegal and done in isolated areas without access to health services and with evidence of emerging antimalarial drug resistance. Concentrating vulnerable populations in an ecologically disturbed landscape is often conducive to epidemics, which can then spread as these highly mobile workers return to their homes. Mining-associated malaria endangers malaria elimination efforts and miners need to be addressed as a group of particular concern.