The dreaded mosquito pinches your skin, and as you swat the poor fellow, you imagine all the issues that prospective malaria disease will bring. As you slap that one away to oblivion, know that not all mosquitoes cause malaria. Only Anopheles mosquito, when infected by a parasite- Plasmodium, causes malaria.
When the malaria parasite infects the Anopheles mosquito, it starts its lifecycle in the malaria mosquito’s body. Each of the subspecies of this parasite causes different symptoms and responds to different treatments. Upon getting transferred to the human body when the malaria mosquito bites, it first goes to the liver to multiply and finally attacks the red blood cells.
Malaria is not a communicable disease because it does not spread from person to person. Once the mosquito has bitten, it can take anywhere from seven to 20 days for the malaria symptoms to appear.
The incubation period of malaria disease is anywhere from one week on wards. The spectrum of malaria symptoms is quite broad. Depending on what the symptoms are, it can be divided into two kinds.
In this kind, the patient suffers from
When other body systems come under attack, it is termed as Complicated Malaria. The symptoms are:
Your general physician to an infectious-disease specialist can treat malaria disease. The malaria treatment has to be comprehensive and must ensure that the condition has been rooted out entirely else recurrence in milder forms is a possibility. All the below points help in the diagnosis of malaria disease.
Antimalaria medicines are used to treat the condition. If the malaria is uncomplicated, oral dosages can cure. Antimalaria medicines like quinine, amodiaquine, lumefantrine, sulfadoxine are used in combination with artemisinins.
For complicated malaria, the antimalaria medicines are given intravenously. Blood sugar, respiratory distress, and blood potassium are monitored explicitly in malaria in children.
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There are no vaccines for malaria. Malaria precautions include prevention of bites from the malaria mosquito.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
Malaria is one of the major causes of preventable deaths in the world today. One of the interesting Facts about Malaria is that it is a parasite infection spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are the infection carriers. Symptoms of this disease could be seen as early as 6 days or might take up to 15 days after the mosquito bite.
Malaria is a significant global problem and there are approximately 216 million cases of people being affected by it in a year. It has been prevalent for so long that it has altered many of the genes. In South Africa, many suffer from sickle cell anaemia and thus it confers some immunity from Malaria. Some of the majorly important Facts about Malaria are as follows:
Symptoms and Risks
People suffering from this disease usually show the following symptoms-
Malaria is found majorly only in subtropical and tropical countries. If not diagnosed immediately, it could lead to life-threatening complications such as – kidney failure, swelling of blood vessels, low blood sugar, anaemia, etc.
A common approach usually applied is an “ABCD” of malaria – A standing for awareness of the risk, B for bite avoidance, C for compliance with chemoprophylaxis, and D for diagnosis in case of fever.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
Treatment
Treatment for this disease is usually provided in the hospital. The doctor prescribes medication according to the kind of malarial parasite you have and also depending on the severity of the disease. Treatment usually lasts for 3 to 7 days, depending on the type of medication. To get rid of the parasite, it is important to take the medication for the exact duration as prescribed. Many times, drugs may turn out to be ineffective. In such cases, the treatment may require more than one medication or a complete change in approach.
People who get help immediately after being diagnosed have a good long term outlook. But if there a lot of complications involved then the outlook may be poor.
Malaria infection during pregnancy can have adverse effects on both mother and fetus, including maternal anemia, fetal loss, premature delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, and delivery of low birth-weight infants (<2500 g or <5.5 pounds), a risk factor for death, early diagnosis and intervention is very critical.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.
Prevention
There are no vaccines available for Malaria. The best way to avoid getting bitten is to stay in a mosquito-free environment, use mosquito net shields while sleeping and also use recommended mosquito repellent creams. Prefer wearing light coloured long sleeve pants and tops while in a mosquito prevalent areas.
Since mosquitoes are night feeders, hence take extra precautions to avoid getting bitten at night. Using mosquito coils and aerosolized insecticides also help improve protection during this time and read more Facts about Malaria to stay on the safer side of the boat.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
