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Malaria: Facts, Symptoms, Treatment & More

Malaria is one of the major causes of preventable deaths in the world today. One of the interesting Facts about Malaria is that it is a parasite infection spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are the infection carriers. Symptoms of this disease could be seen as early as 6 days or might take up to 15 days after the mosquito bite.

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Malaria is a significant global problem and there are approximately 216 million cases of people being affected by it in a year. It has been prevalent for so long that it has altered many of the genes. In South Africa, many suffer from sickle cell anaemia and thus it confers some immunity from Malaria. Some of the majorly important Facts about Malaria are as follows:

Symptoms and Risks

People suffering from this disease usually show the following symptoms-

Malaria is found majorly only in subtropical and tropical countries. If not diagnosed immediately, it could lead to life-threatening complications such as – kidney failure, swelling of blood vessels, low blood sugar, anaemia, etc.

A common approach usually applied is an “ABCD” of malaria – A standing for awareness of the risk, B for bite avoidance, C for compliance with chemoprophylaxis, and D for diagnosis in case of fever.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

Treatment

Treatment for this disease is usually provided in the hospital. The doctor prescribes medication according to the kind of malarial parasite you have and also depending on the severity of the disease. Treatment usually lasts for 3 to 7 days, depending on the type of medication. To get rid of the parasite, it is important to take the medication for the exact duration as prescribed. Many times, drugs may turn out to be ineffective. In such cases, the treatment may require more than one medication or a complete change in approach.

People who get help immediately after being diagnosed have a good long term outlook. But if there a lot of complications involved then the outlook may be poor.

Malaria infection during pregnancy can have adverse effects on both mother and fetus, including maternal anemia, fetal loss, premature delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, and delivery of low birth-weight infants (<2500 g or <5.5 pounds), a risk factor for death, early diagnosis and intervention is very critical.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.

Prevention

There are no vaccines available for Malaria. The best way to avoid getting bitten is to stay in a mosquito-free environment, use mosquito net shields while sleeping and also use recommended mosquito repellent creams. Prefer wearing light coloured long sleeve pants and tops while in a mosquito prevalent areas.

Since mosquitoes are night feeders, hence take extra precautions to avoid getting bitten at night. Using mosquito coils and aerosolized insecticides also help improve protection during this time and read more Facts about Malaria to stay on the safer side of the boat.  

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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