| Malaria | |||||
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Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite inside mosquitoes which is transmitted into the blood by a mosquito bite to the skin. This condition can also be transmitted though sharing syringes or by blood transfusions that contain the parasite.
The parasite that causes this disease is the protozoan parasite from the Plamodium family.
Certain precautions need to be taken in order to prevent malaria:
- Avoid visiting countries with known malaria outbreaks in the season when infection mainly occurs
- Avoid exposure to moquitos to prevent being bitten
- Wear long sleeves when in areas known to be mosquito habitats
- Wear insect repellant on skin that is not covered
- Use a moquito net over your bed
- Put fly screens over windows and doors
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and pains
- Sweating
Malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite from the Plamodium family. There are four pecies of the parasite with one of them (P.falciparum) being the most fatal, developing symptoms very rapidly.
Diagnosis and testing
Malaria is diagnosed by a doctor through the following methods:
- Blood test - to test the blood for the species of the parasite and determine treatment
- History of symptoms - your doctor will ask a series of questions about the symptoms
- Physical examination - to detect the severity of the condition and symptoms
Conventional treatment
Treatment of malaria is through medication:
- Chloroquine - for non-restant strains of malaria
- Clindamycine - for non-restant strains of malaria
- Doxycycline - antibiotic
- Mefloquine - similar to quinine
- Primaquine - anti-malarial
- Quinine gluconate & sulphate - an anti-malarial for resistant infection
- Tetracycline - antibiotic
- Artemether, artesunate - experimental drugs, not yet approved
Malaria is normally treated based on a variety of factors, namely the species of the parasite, the health of the person infected and where the disease was contracted, as well as whether the strain is a resistant or non-resistant one.
Alternative / complementary treatment
Always ensure that you notify your medical practitioner of any supplements that you want to take - it may interfere with other medication or conditions you have. Confirm with your doctor it is safe to take BEFORE you try it.
- Quinine - this is a natural substance which is used to fight malaria infections
Never self-medicate for a serious disease such as malaria, always take the doctor's advice.
- According to WHO, around 40% of the world's population is at risk of catching malaria, especially those people living in the poorest countries in the world
- Around 20% of children in Africa die of malaria each year
- Malaria is curable with the right medication and death can prevented if medication is administered
- More than 1,000,000 people die of malaria each year, mainly in Africa and mainly babies, children and pregnant women
- People travelling overseas are normally given malaria tablets befor ethey travel to prevent infection of some genus
- Malaria is a serious health problem for both the pregnant woman and the unborn child
references
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To learn more, go to the following sites:
- World Health Organisation - Malaria Information
- Centre for Disease Control and Protection (USA)
- Royal Melbourne Hospital Fact Sheet (Australia)
