WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MALARIA
Malaria is a potentially fatal disease. It is usually spread by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Plasmodium parasites are carried by infected mosquitos. The parasite is delivered into your circulation when this mosquito bites you.
Once inside your body, the parasites migrate to the liver, where they mature. The mature parasites enter the bloodstream and begin to infect red blood cells after a few days.
The parasites inside the red blood cells grow within 48 to 72 hours, forcing the infected cells to burst open.
The parasites continue to infect red blood cells, resulting in symptoms that recur in two to three-day cycles.
Malaria is most common in tropical and subtropical areas where the parasites can thrive. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source, there were an estimated 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries in 2016.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1,700 cases of malaria in the United States each year. The majority of malaria cases occur in people who travel to malaria-endemic nations.
CAUSES OF MALARIA
Malaria may be contracted by being bitten by an infected mosquito. In order to infect a human, the insect must carry the Plasmodium parasite. There are several strains of this parasite, but only five are capable of causing malaria in humans. Furthermore, only a female Anopheles mosquito bite may transmit malaria to humans.
When a mosquito bites someone, the parasite enters the person's blood. It travels to the liver and begins to multiply.
The liver reintroduces fresh malaria parasites into the circulation, where they infect red blood cells and proliferate. Some malaria parasites survive in the liver and do not circulate until later, causing recurrence.
Symptoms emerge as the parasites proliferate, generally 7–30 days after infection, depending on the type of Plasmodium. If a person becomes infected after using antimalarial medications, symptoms may take weeks or months to show.
An unaffected mosquito may potentially pick up parasites if it feeds on blood harboring them, restarting the cycle.
SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA
Malaria symptoms normally appear between 10 days and 4 weeks after infection. Symptoms may not appear for several months in some circumstances. Some malarial parasites can enter the body yet remain latent for extended periods of time.
Malaria is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Bloody stools
- Coma
- Convulsions
- Muscular ache
- Anemia
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Headache
- Sweating profusely
- High fever
- shivering chills that can range from mild to severe
MALARIA PREVENTION TIPS
Malaria vaccines are not currently available. Consult your doctor if you are traveling to or living in a region where malaria is frequent. Medication to prevent the disease may be prescribed to you.
These medications are the same as those used to treat the disease and should be taken before, during, and after your trip.
If you reside in a malaria-prone location, consult your doctor regarding long-term protection. Sleeping under a mosquito net may reduce your chances of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Covering your skin or using DEET-containing bug sprays may also help avoid infection.
If you're not sure whether malaria is present in your area, the CDC maintains an up-to-date map showing where malaria can be found.
MALARIA DIAGNOSIS
The importance of early detection in malaria recovery cannot be overstated. Even after taking antimalarial medication, people can become infected. Symptoms can appear up to a year after infection in this situation.
Anyone experiencing signs of malaria should consult a doctor as soon as possible. They should notify the doctor if they have been in a region where malaria has been present in the previous 12 months.
A doctor will inquire about the patient's symptoms and travel history. They will arrange blood testing if they suspect malaria.
These include:
A full blood count to check for anemia
Rapid parasite diagnostic testing (RDT), which can deliver results in 2–15 minutes.
Blood cell microscopic inspection
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR MALARIA?
Malaria can be fatal, especially if you are infected with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. At most cases, the condition is treated in a hospital. Medications will be prescribed by your doctor based on the type of parasite you have.
Because of parasite resistance to medications, the therapy provided may not clear the illness in some cases. If this happens, your doctor may need to use more than one drug or switch medications entirely to treat your illness.
Furthermore, some malaria parasites, such as P. vivax and P. ovale, have liver stages in which the parasite can remain in your body for a lengthy period of time before reactivating and triggering a relapse of the infection.
If you have one of these types of malaria parasites, you will be given a second treatment to prevent a future relapse.
WHAT IS THE LONG TERM OUTLOOK FOR MALARIA PATIENTS?
Malaria patients who undergo therapy usually have an excellent long-term outlook. If problems emerge as a result of malaria, the prognosis may be less favorable. Cerebral malaria, which causes enlargement of the brain's blood arteries, can cause brain damage.
Patients with drug-resistant parasites may also have a bad long-term outlook. Malaria may reoccur in some patients. This could lead to more difficulties.
SUMMARY
Malaria is a potentially fatal disease that can be contracted after being bitten by a mosquito carrying particular Plasmodium parasites.
A fever and chills are among the symptoms, which may resolve after a few days but may resurface several weeks or months later. Malaria can eventually harm crucial organs.
Anyone planning to spend time in a region where malaria is common should get advice on antimalarial medications and other malaria-prevention techniques. If a person gets symptoms up to a year after visiting an afflicted area, they should see their doctor, who will most likely do a malaria test.