title: Malaria-associated rubber plantations in Thailand.
abstract: Rubber forestry is intentionally used as a land management strategy. The propagation of rubber plantations in tropic and subtropic regions appears to influence the economical, sociological and ecological aspects of sustainable development as well as human well-being and health. Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries are the world's largest producers of natural rubber products; interestingly, agricultural workers on rubber plantations are at risk for malaria and other vector-borne diseases. The idea of malaria-associated rubber plantations (MRPs) encompasses the complex epidemiological settings that result from interactions among human movements and activities, land cover/land use changes, agri-environmental and climatic conditions and vector population dynamics. This paper discusses apparent issues pertaining to the connections between rubber plantations and the populations at high risk for malaria. The following questions are addressed: (i) What are the current and future consequences of rubber plantations in Thailand and Southeast Asia relative to malaria epidemics or outbreaks of other vector-borne diseases? (ii) To what extent is malaria transmission in Thailand related to the forest versus rubber plantations? and (iii) What are the vulnerabilities of rubber agricultural workers to malaria, and how contagious is malaria in these areas?
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. adisak.bhu@mahidol.ac.th
authors.forename: Adisak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhumiratana
authors.forename: Prapa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sorosjinda-Nunthawarasilp
authors.forename: Wuthichai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kaewwaen
authors.forename: Pannamas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maneekan
authors.forename: Suntorn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pimnon
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D016468:Forestry; D028482:Hevea; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D012307:Risk Factors; D012408:Rubber; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014197:Trees; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D012408:Rubber