Malaria

Description

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite. The parasite is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. People who have malaria usually feel very sick with a high fever and chills.

While the disease is uncommon in temperate climates, malaria is common in tropical and subtropical countries. Each year, about 290 million people are infected with malaria, and more than 400,000 people die of the disease.

To reduce infections of malaria, global health programs to distribute preventive drugs and insecticide-treated bed nets to protect people from mosquito bites. The World Health Organization has recommended a malaria vaccine for use in children who live in countries with a high number of malaria cases.

Protective clothing, mosquito nets and insecticides can protect you while traveling. You can also take the preventive medicine before, during, and after a trip to a high-risk area. Many of the malaria parasites have developed resistance to the common medications used to treat the disease.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of malaria may include:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • General feeling of discomfort
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Muscle or joint pain.
  • Fatigue
  • Rapid breathing
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Cough

Some people who have malaria experience of the cycles of malaria "attacks". An attack usually starts with shivering and chills, followed by a high fever, followed by sweating and a return to normal temperature.

Malaria signs and symptoms typically begin within a couple of weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to a year.

When to see a doctor

Talk with your doctor if you experience fever, while living at or after a trip to a high risk of malaria in the region. If you have severe symptoms, seek emergency medical attention.

Causes

Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans most commonly through the bites of mosquitoes.

Mosquito transmission cycle

  • Not infected mosquito. A mosquito becomes infected by feeding on a person who has malaria.
  • The transmission of the parasite. If this mosquito bites you in the future, you can transmit malaria parasites to you.
  • In the liver. Once the parasites enter your body, they travel to your liver, where some types can be latent for as long as a year.
  • In the bloodstream. When the parasites mature, they leave the liver and infect red blood cells. This is when people usually develop the symptoms of malaria.
  • To the next person. If a person is not infected mosquito bites, that at this point in the cycle, that is infected with the malaria parasite and can be extended for the rest of the people pica.

Other modes of transmission

Due to the parasites that cause malaria affect red blood cells, people can get malaria from exposure to infected blood, including:

  • From the mother to the unborn child
  • Through blood transfusions
  • By sharing needles to inject drugs

Risk factors

The greatest risk factor for the development of malaria is to live in or visit areas where the disease is common. These include tropical and subtropical regions of:

  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • The south and south-East Asia
  • Of The Pacific Islands
  • Central america and northern South America

The degree of risk depends on local malaria control, the seasonal changes in the rates of malaria, and the precautions you can take to prevent mosquito bites.

The risks of a more severe illness

People at higher risk of serious illness include:

  • Young children and babies
  • Older adults
  • Travelers from areas with no malaria
  • Pregnant women and their unborn children

In many countries with high rates of malaria, the problem is compounded by the lack of access to preventive measures, medical care and information.

The immunity may decrease

Residents of malaria in the region may be exposed to the disease is sufficient to acquire a partial immunity, which can reduce the severity of malaria symptoms. However, this partial immunity can disappear if you move to a place where there are frequently exposed to the parasite.

Complications

Malaria can be fatal, especially when it is caused by the plasmodium species common in Africa. The World Health Organization estimated that around 94% of all malaria deaths occur in Africa — most often in children under 5 years of age.

Malaria deaths are usually associated with one or more serious complications, including:

  • Cerebral malaria. If parasite full of blood cells block small blood vessels of his brain (cerebral malaria), inflammation of your brain or brain damage may occur. Cerebral malaria can cause seizures and coma.
  • Breathing problems. Accumulated fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) can make it hard to breathe.
  • Organ failure. Malaria can cause damage to the kidneys or liver or cause the spleen to rupture. Any of these conditions can be life-threatening.
  • Anemia. Malaria can result in not having enough red blood cells to provide adequate oxygen supply to the tissues of the body (anemia).
  • Low blood sugar. Severe forms of malaria can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as the quinine — a common drug used to combat malaria. Very low blood sugar can lead to coma or death.

Malaria can recur

Some varieties of the malaria parasite, which tend to cause milder forms of the disease, can persist for years and cause relapses.

Prevention

If you live in or travel to an area where malaria is common, take measures to avoid mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn. To protect themselves from mosquito bites, you must:

  • Cover your skin. Wear pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck in your shirt, and tuck pant legs into socks.
  • Apply insect repellent to the skin. Use an insect repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency on the exposed skin. These include repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. Do not use a spray directly on the face. Do not use products with oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or p-Menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years of age.
  • Apply insect repellent to clothing. Sprays containing permethrin are safe to apply to clothing.
  • Sleep under a mosquito net. Mosquito nets, especially those treated with insecticides, such as permethrin, help to prevent mosquito bites while you are sleeping.

Preventive medicine

If you are going to travel to a place where malaria is common, talk with your doctor a couple of months in advance about whether you should take medication before, during, and after their journey to help protect you from the malaria parasites.

In general, drugs to prevent malaria are the same medications used to treat the disease. What medicine that you take depends on where and for how long you are traveling, and your own health.

The vaccine

The World Health Organization has recommended a malaria vaccine for use in children who live in countries with a high number of malaria cases.

The researchers are continuing the development and study of malaria vaccines to prevent infection.

Malaria

Diagnosis

To diagnose malaria, your doctor will likely review your medical history and recent travel, to carry out a physical examination, and blood tests. Blood tests can indicate:

  • The presence of the parasite in the blood, to confirm that you have malaria
  • Which type of malaria parasite is the cause of your symptoms
  • If the infection is caused by a parasite that is resistant to certain medications
  • If the disease is causing serious complications

Some blood tests can take several days to complete, while others can produce results in less than 15 minutes. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may order other diagnostic tests to assess the possible complications.

Treatment

Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. The types of drugs and the duration of treatment may vary, depending on:

  • Which type of malaria parasite have been
  • The severity of the symptoms
  • Age
  • If you are pregnant

Drugs

The most common anti-malarial drugs include:

  • Chloroquine phosphate. Chloroquine is the preferred treatment for any parasite that is sensitive to the drug. But in many parts of the world, the parasites are resistant to chloroquine, and the drug is not an effective treatment.
  • Artemisinin-based combination therapies (Acts). artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is a combination of two or more drugs that are active against the malaria parasite in different ways. This is usually the preferred treatment for chloroquine-resistant malaria. Examples include artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem) and artesunate-mefloquine.

Another anti-malarial drugs include:

  • Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone)
  • Quinine sulfate (Qualaquin) with doxycycline (Oracea, Vibramycin, others)
  • Phosphate primaquine

Preparing for your appointment

If you suspect that you have malaria or that you have been exposed, it is likely to start by seeing your family doctor. However, in some cases, when you call to schedule an appointment, you may be referred to a specialist in infectious diseases. If you have severe symptoms, especially during or after your trip in an area where malaria is common, seek emergency medical attention.

What you can do

Before your appointment, you might want to write down the answers to the following questions:

  • What are your symptoms, and when do they start?
  • Where have you traveled recently?
  • How long did the trip and when you came back?
  • Did you take any preventive medications related to your trip?
  • What other drugs you are taking, including dietary supplements and herbal remedies?
Symptoms and treatment of Malaria