subject: The Symptoms and Prevention of Malaria [print this page] The Symptoms and Prevention of Malaria The Symptoms and Prevention of Malaria
Malaria is parasitic disease which is transmitted from one human to another by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria parasite called Plasmodium multiply in the liver, and then infects red blood cells. In humans malaria is caused by Plasmodium. falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium. ovale, Plasmodium. vivax and Plasmodium. knowlesi. Plasmodium falciparum is the most common cause of infection and is responsible for about 80% of all malaria cases, and is also responsible for about 90% of the deaths from malaria. The disease is transmitted to humans when an infected Anopheles mosquito bites a person and injects the malaria parasites (sporozoites) into the blood. Sporozoites travel through the bloodstream to the liver, mature, and eventually infect the human red blood cells.
Malaria is common in many tropical and sub-tropical areas.
What are Malaria Symptoms?
Malaria Symptoms include flu like illness with fever, chills, muscle aches, and headache. Sometimes there may be other Malaria symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and yellowing (jaundice) of the skin and whites of the eyes due to destruction of red blood cells and liver cells. The majority of malaria symptoms are caused by the release of merozoites into the bloodstream, the anemia resulting from the destruction of the red blood cells, and free hemoglobin released into circulation after red blood cells rupture. Cerebral malaria symptoms like coma, altered mental status or seizures can occur with severe P. falciparum infection.
How to prevent Malaria?
The ABCD of malaria prevention are:
Awareness of risk
Bite prevention
Chemoprophylaxis
Rapid Diagnosis and treatment
Protection against mosquito bites is the basic step of Malaria Prevention. For Malaria Prevention in young children and pregnant women it is recommended to avoid traveling to areas where malaria is common.
The CDC recommend the use of mosquito repellent cream which should contain up to 50% DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), which is the most effective mosquito repellent for adults and children over 2 months of age.
Sleeping under bed nets and wearing protective clothing can also be done for malaria prevention.
At present there is no drug that totally guarantees malaria prevention.
Some of the different medications in the possible Malaria prevention include Hydroxychloroquine, Plaquenil, Chloroquine, and Mefloquine Malaria, especially Falciparum malaria, is a medical emergency requiring hospitalization. The outcome of treatment is expected to be good in most causes of malaria, but poor in Falciparum infection with complications.
