Malaria was an Earth disease carried by mosquitoes. The name is derived from the words "bad air", due to the early belief that this illness was caused by "vapors" given off at night.
Israel Daniel Dickenson, captain of the sloop-of-war Enterprise during the American Revolution, suffered from malaria during the struggle to prepare the Colonial fleet in 1776. (Enterprise Logs short story: "The Veil at Valcour")
The discovery of quinine was a major turning point for Human medicine, as it was discovered to be the first effective medicine against Malaria. Malaria continued to kill millions each year, well into the 21st century. (TOS novel: Uhura's Song)
