QUESTION

The word malaria comes from two medievial Italian words meaning?

ANSWER

Malaria comes from “mal” and “aria,” which means “bad air.” Before the parasite that caused malaria was discovered, people thought the disease was caused by foul air, and associated it with marshes and low-lying swamps. They were not 100% wrong—those areas are perfect breeding grounds for the mosquitoes which transmit malaria, and so infection often occurs in and around these areas.