Malaria according to WHO is an infectious parasitic disease that in 2010 was found in 99 countries and territories throughout the world. It is caught by being bitten by a mosquito
carrying the malaria parasite.
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium , which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito.
Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken on an infected person. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood is taken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites. About 1 week later, when the mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquito’s saliva and are injected into the person being bitten. Because the malaria parasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person, malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria may also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery (“congenital” malaria).
In the early stages, malaria symptoms are sometimes similar to those of many other infections caused by
bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
Symptoms may include:
Fever.
Chills.
Headache.
Sweats.
Fatigue.
Nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms may appear in cycles and may come and go at different intensities and for different lengths of time. But, especially at the beginning of the illness, the symptoms may not follow this typical pattern. The cyclic pattern of malaria symptoms is due to the life cycle of malaria parasites as they develop, reproduce, and are released from the red blood cells and liver cells in the human body. This cycle of symptoms is also one of the
major indicators that you are infected with malaria.
Other common symptoms of malaria include:
Dry (nonproductive) cough.
Muscle and/or back pain.
Enlarged spleen.
In rare cases, malaria can lead to impaired function of the brain or spinal cord, seizures , or loss of consciousness. Infection with the P.falciparum parasite is usually more
serious and may become life threatening.
There are other conditions with symptoms similar to a malaria infection. It is important that you see your doctor to find out the cause of your symptoms.
Prevention and Cure
Malaria prevention needs to be approached from two fronts:
protecting against infection and reducing the development of the disease in infected people. Studies in Ghana, Kenya, and other African nations show that about 30 percent of child deaths could be avoided if children slept under bed nets regularly treated with insecticides.
In the 1950s and 1960s, DDT
lowered malaria rates in many parts of the world. However, due to environmental toxicity, it was abandoned.
Predictably, malaria rates increased. DDT has been replaced by newer insecticides, which have fewer health
risks.
Disease management through early diagnosis and prompt treatment is fundamental to malaria control. Even with the emergence of drug resistance, malaria is largely a curable disease.
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium , which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito.
Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken on an infected person. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood is taken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites. About 1 week later, when the mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquito’s saliva and are injected into the person being bitten. Because the malaria parasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person, malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria may also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery (“congenital” malaria).
In the early stages, malaria symptoms are sometimes similar to those of many other infections caused by
bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
Symptoms may include:
Fever.
Chills.
Headache.
Sweats.
Fatigue.
Nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms may appear in cycles and may come and go at different intensities and for different lengths of time. But, especially at the beginning of the illness, the symptoms may not follow this typical pattern. The cyclic pattern of malaria symptoms is due to the life cycle of malaria parasites as they develop, reproduce, and are released from the red blood cells and liver cells in the human body. This cycle of symptoms is also one of the
major indicators that you are infected with malaria.
Other common symptoms of malaria include:
Dry (nonproductive) cough.
Muscle and/or back pain.
Enlarged spleen.
In rare cases, malaria can lead to impaired function of the brain or spinal cord, seizures , or loss of consciousness. Infection with the P.falciparum parasite is usually more
serious and may become life threatening.
Prevention and Cure
Malaria prevention needs to be approached from two fronts:
In the 1950s and 1960s, DDT
lowered malaria rates in many parts of the world. However, due to environmental toxicity, it was abandoned.
Predictably, malaria rates increased. DDT has been replaced by newer insecticides, which have fewer health
risks.
Disease management through early diagnosis and prompt treatment is fundamental to malaria control. Even with the emergence of drug resistance, malaria is largely a curable disease.
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