Malaria occurs all around the world but is most common in developing countries and locations with warm temperatures and high humidity, including:
Malaria can affect everyone, but individuals living in Africa are more likely to become infected. Malaria has a higher risk of death for young children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Poverty and a lack of access to healthcare increase the risk of disease complications. More than 90% of malaria deaths occur in Africa, with young children making up the majority of the victims. More than 80% of malaria deaths in the region in 2020 occurred in children under the age of five.
When a mosquito bites someone with malaria, it becomes infected. When that mosquito bites someone else, it transmits a parasite into the other person's blood. There, parasites multiply. There are five varieties of malaria parasites capable of infecting humans. In rare situations, pregnant women who have malaria can pass the disease on to their infants before or after birth. Malaria could be transmitted by blood transfusions, organ donations, or hypodermic needles, but this is highly unlikely.
Malaria spreads when a mosquito bites an infected person and then infects another person. Malaria parasites enter the person's bloodstream and move to the liver. When the parasites mature, they leave the liver to infect red blood cells.
Malaria symptoms are similar to those related to the flu. They include:
The most severe form of malaria, which can lead to a coma, is known as cerebral malaria. This category accounts for approximately 15% of mortality in children and nearly 20% of adult deaths.
Malaria symptoms often occur 10 days to one month after an individual is infected. Symptoms may be mild, depending on the parasite. Some people do not feel sick for up to a year following a mosquito bite. Parasites can sometimes stay in the body for years without producing any symptoms.
Certain types of malaria, depending on the parasite, can recur. The parasites remain inactive in your liver before being discharged into your bloodstream years later. When the parasites resume their circulation, the symptoms return.
Your healthcare practitioner will assess you and ask about your symptoms and travel history. It's important to give information about places where you've recently been so that your provider can accurately assess your risk.
Your provider will collect a blood sample and send it to a lab to determine whether you have malaria parasites. The blood test will determine whether you have malaria and the type of parasite causing your symptoms. This information will be used by your provider to choose the most appropriate treatment.
Treatment for malaria must begin as soon as possible. Your doctor will prescribe drugs to kill the malaria parasite. Some parasites are resistant to antimalarial medicines.
Some medications are administered together with others. The type of parasite determines the type of drug and the duration of treatment.
Antimalarial medications include Artemisinin medications. If available, artemisinin combination therapy is the most effective treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Malaria is curable with medication.
Antimalarial medications can cause adverse side effects. Be careful of telling your provider about other medicines you’re taking, as antimalarial drugs may interfere with them. Possible adverse effects of several medications include :
Malaria deaths are usually related to one or more serious complications, including:
Malaria can be deadly, especially when transmitted by plasmodium species found in Africa. According to the World Health Organization, Africa accounts for around 94% of all malaria deaths, with children under the age of five being the most commonly affected.
Malaria deaths are frequently due to one or more significant complications, such as:
To avoid malaria, cover your skin, apply insect repellent to exposed skin, apply permethrin repellent to clothing, and sleep under a net. Consult your doctor about taking drugs before, during, and after your trip to protect yourself from malaria parasites. The World Health Organization recommends a malaria vaccine for children in countries with high malaria cases. Research is ongoing to develop and study malaria vaccines to prevent infection. Avoid using products with the oil of lemon eucalyptus or p-Menthane-3,8-diol on children under the age of 3.
Malaria, if not treated appropriately, can lead to major health concerns, such as permanent organ damage and death. If you think you have malaria or have visited a malaria-infested area, you should get treatment immediately. Treatment is significantly more successful when started early. The proper medication and dosage can treat malaria and eliminate the illness from your body. If you have already had malaria, you can contract it again if an infected mosquito bites you.
What happens if you contract malaria?
Malaria can damage the kidneys, and liver, and cause the spleen to burst. All of these conditions have the potential to be fatal. Anemia. Malaria can cause anemia, which is a lack of red blood cells that prevents your body's tissues from receiving enough oxygen
How did malaria spread?
Malaria spreads through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusions from sick patients or the use of contaminated needles or syringes. People who have untreated or inadequately treated malaria may transmit the infection to a mosquito that bites them.
Can Malaria be cured?
Malaria disease can be categorized as mild or severe (complex). Malaria is a treatable disease if found and treated early and correctly. All clinical signs of malaria are caused by asexual erythrocytic or blood-stage parasites.
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