Today, I am going to write about Malaria. This is a disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide every year. To many of its victim, it affects them in a lethal way. For most of you people living in developed countries, this disease might seems a historical object of the past. However, this deadly disease transmitted by a mosquito bite remains a global challenge, especially for us Africans.

In definition, I guess one can define malaria as an infectious disease characterized by intermittent attacks of very high fever and transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito.

Similarly, you can define it as a disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium that is transmitted by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito females.

The Most lethal killer in the world

Malaria is a life-threatening disease that is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite, and when this mosquito bites you, the parasite is released into your bloodstream.

Once the parasites are inside your body, they travel to the liver, where they mature, then enter the bloodstream and begin to infect red blood cells.

Within a couple of days, the parasites inside the red blood cells multiply and cause the cells to burst open. This results in symptoms that occur in cycles that last two to three days at a time.

Reach of the Disease

Malaria is typically found in tropical and subtropical climates where the parasites can survive. As per information from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, there were an estimated 216 million cases in 91 countries.

In the United States, Malaria was eliminated in the early 1950s, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report 1,700 cases annually. Most cases develop in people who travel to countries where there is a prevalence of the disease.

Over 100 types of Plasmodium parasite can infect a variety of species, but five types of Plasmodium parasite can infect humans. They are found in different parts of the world, and some cause a more severe type of malaria than others.

Causes Of Malaria

Malaria can occur if a carrier mosquito infected with the Plasmodium parasite bites you. These four kinds of malaria parasites can attack and infect humans: Plasmodium vivax, p. ovale, p. malariae, and p. falciparum.

falciparum causes a more severe form of the disease and those who contract it have a higher risk of passing away. An infected mother can also pass the disease to her baby at birth, and this is known as congenital malaria.

Malaria is transmitted by blood, but can also be transmitted through an organ transplant, a transfusion, and the use of shared needles or syringes

Symptoms of Malaria

The symptoms typically develop within 10 days to a month following the infection. In some circumstances, symptoms may not develop for several months.

Some malarial parasites can be dormant for long periods of time.
Common symptoms of malaria include:

• shaking chills that can be moderate or severe
• bloody stools
• high fever
• profuse sweating
• a headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• anemia
• muscle pain
• convulsions, and
• coma

Complications Of Malaria

Malaria can cause a number of life-threatening complications, like:

• blood vessels of the brain swell up (cerebral malaria)
• an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that may result in breathing problems (pulmonary edema)
• organ failure that may affect the kidneys, liver, or spleen
• destruction of red blood cells, which can result in serious anemia, and
• low blood sugar

Malaria Treatment

Malaria is a lethal condition, and treatment for the disease is typically provided in a clinic or hospital. Your doctor will prescribe medications based on the type of parasite that you have, and the symptoms you are showing.

In some instances, the medication prescribed may not clear the infection because of some parasite’s resistance to drugs. If this occurs, your doctor may need to change medications altogether to treat your condition.

Moreover, certain types of malaria parasites live in your body for an extended period of time. It can reactivate at a later date and cause a relapse of the infection.

If you have one of these types of parasites, you’ll be given a second medication to prevent a relapse in the future.

Prevention Of Malaria

There’s no vaccine available to prevent malaria, but you should talk to your doctor if you’re traveling to an area where malaria is common or if you live in such an area, in order to prescribe medications to prevent the disease.

You can as well follow some practices in order to prevent the disease:

• Sleeping under the cover and protection of a mosquito net.
• Using insecticides or bug sprays containing DEET may also help.
• Clean the stagnant water around the houses as this eliminates the places where mosquitoes breed and proliferate.

Research to develop safe and effective global vaccines for malaria is ongoing, with one vaccine already licensed for use in Europe. It is essential to seek medical attention for suspected symptoms of malaria as early as possible, and if you’re unsure if malaria is prevalent in your area, the CDC has an up-to-date map of where malaria can be found.

Travelers are advised to:

• find out what the risk of malaria is in the region they are visiting.
• ask their doctor what medications they should use to prevent malaria infection in that region.
• Take caution to buy antimalarial drugs, to avoid the risk of buying counterfeit drugs.
• Ensure they will have access to preventative tools, that include insect repellants, insecticides, pre-treated bed nets, and appropriate clothing.
• Finally, ensure that you are aware of the symptoms of malaria

Medications for Malaria

You can take medicine to treat malaria, and you can also take medicine to make it less likely to get the disease.

Malaria is a serious disease that causes high fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms. It can be life-threatening if not treated quickly, and you can get malaria when you visit different parts of the world, especially countries in tropical climates.

Using drugs to prevent sickness is known as prophylactic medicine, and it is a situation where you don’t have the disease, but you’re taking medicine to keep it that way.

Malaria pills are good but still limited as it is not 100% effective in preventing the disease. Thus, the pills should be used with other preventive steps, such as wearing insect repellant, wearing long sleeves, and protecting your sleeping area with a net or similar bed treatment.

Malaria Drugs

The drugs kill malaria parasites when they’re in the liver or red blood cells, putting them in check before they get out of control.

You can still get malaria even if you’ve taken the pills, but taking them cuts your chances of getting sick by about 90%. The drugs are not a vaccine, as there is no global vaccine for malaria yet.

Common malaria drugs include:

Key:

Rx=prescription only

Otc= over the counter

C= Pregnancy category: risk cannot be ruled out

B= pregnancy category: no evidence of risk

D= pregnancy category: positive evidence of risks

N= pregnancy category: FDA has not classified the drug

CSA= controlled substance act

N= CSA category: not subject to the act

X    Interacts with alcohol

Final Thoughts

No single drug that can eradicate all forms of the parasite’s life cycle has been manufactured yet. Thus, 1 or more classes of drugs often are given at the same time to combat malarial infection synergistically.

The drug classes currently used to treat malaria include:

• quinoline-related compounds,
• antifolates,
• artemisinin derivatives, and
• antimicrobials

Treatment regimens are dependent on the geographic location of the infection, and you should beware of counterfeit antimalarial drugs that may have been purchased overseas or via the Internet.

They may not contain any active ingredients at all and may even contain dangerous materials.

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