In 1880, Alphonse Laveran discovered the protozoan parasite responsible for malaria, a crucial breakthrough in medical science. This discovery was instrumental in understanding the transmission and prevention of malaria, particularly in tropical regions where the disease was endemic. Laveran's work laid the groundwork for future research and public health initiatives aimed at combating malaria, significantly impacting global health.

Understanding malaria’s biological basis altered the literary portrayal of the tropics in Colonial and Post-Colonial literature, shifting from vague notions of 'miasma' to specific anxieties about invasion and vulnerability, influencing Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness' and later African writing.