Malaria
Introduction/Overview
Malaria is a serious, infectious disease which is contracted from a parasite carried by mosquitoes. The illness can result in death. Malaria is particularly bad in tropical/subtropical climates, such as in Africa, Asia, Central America, South America and the Middle East. While not prevalent in North America, it is often acquired by travelers to these other regions.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
The symptoms of malaria are severe and include a high fever, along with chills and the sweats. You could also have diarrhea, vomiting, headache or nausea. Many people initially think they have the flu, but if you have traveled to a country where malaria is prevalent, it is best to see a doctor when malaria symptoms first appear. To verify diagnosis, the doctor will take a blood smear and examine it under a microscope to identify the parasite.
Known Causes
The malaria parasite is known as a one-celled plasmodium. There are 4 species which cause malaria. They include P. falciparum, which causes the most deaths from malaria in Africa; P. malariae, also found in Africa; P. ovale, which causes a rarer form of malaria found in West Africa; and P. vivax, a plasmodium found in Asia. This is the way the malaria develops: A female anopheles mosquito bites a human who has malaria. It takes in the parasite. The parasite becomes an adult inside the mosquito and lives in its salivary glands. When the mosquito bites a human, the parasite enters his or her bloodstream. The malaria parasite infects the liver and continues to compete its lifecycle. A pregnant woman can transfer the plasmodium to her fetus during pregnancy.
Treatments/Procedures
The problem with malaria treatment is the fact that the malaria parasite is becoming resistant to certain medications. Still, malaria treatment is usually successful if diagnosed in a timely manner. Many drugs can be used to treat malaria–here are a few of the most popular: quinine sulfate, chloroquine, mefloquine, doxycycline, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfadoxine combined with pyrimethamine.
Prevention / Vaccination
Malaria cannot be prevented by a vaccine. The biggest effort is to prevent mosquitos from living near humans. This is done by the spraying of insecticides inside and out in problem regions. There are also preventative medications you can take if you are traveling to areas where malaria exists.
Prognosis / Management
Once you have malaria, there are not many ways to manage day to day living. You will need medications to have a malaria cure. The best prognosis is to eliminate mosquitoes from living areas and yards. Deet is particularly good at preventing malaria mosquito bites but it also can be toxic in high amounts and should not be used on children. You can also sleep in mosquito netting which has been treated with pyrethrin and permethrin. Some types of malaria can reoccur. If you are diagnosed with malaria, it is very important to wear a medic alert bracelet or carry a medical ID card identifying your disease, meds, and who to call in case of emergency.
Alternative Treatments and Products
Chinese herbs are used as an alternative malaria treatment in Asia. Wormwood is an herb used to protect the liver as are goldenseal, milk thistle, and Chinese golden thread. Those who are very ill with malaria need to be in a hospital for intravenous treatments for malaria.