Malaria – What You Need to Know About the Disease and How to Avoid It
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease that affects about 6 billion people worldwide. It is spread through contaminated water and food, and is especially common in tropical and subtropical regions.
In the early 1900s, the disease was almost eliminated from the world because of a combination of sterilization efforts, better hygiene, and the development of anti-malarial. But in the last few decades, the parasitic disease has been on the rise again. In fact this disease is now the most common illness in the world that claiming a lives every year.
Malaria is caused by a parasite found in many animal and plant species. The most prevalent species is Plasmodium falciparum, which is present in both humans and animals.
It is found in Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. But other species exist in both humans and animals. These parasites are also known as malaria parasites or germs.
Malaria is a crippling and sometimes life-threatening disease that infects about 1.5 million people worldwide each year. Make sure you’re aware of the symptoms and how to avoid getting infected. Malaria is a highly contagious disease that is spread by mosquitoes.
The disease is caused by a parasite found in the blood of humans and animals. It is spread through the bites of an infected mosquito. If you’re in a developing country, you might be at risk of getting malaria due to limited healthcare resources, poor hygiene, and the risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes. But in areas with better healthcare and hygiene, the disease is a threat mainly due to its high cost.
The disease is a common in tropical and subtropical regions, so it’s not surprising that you might have heard of it. However, many people are still confused about what it is, how to identify it, and how to avoid getting it. This article explains everything you need to know about malaria, its symptoms, where it comes from, and how to prevent it. If you’re living in an area with malaria, be aware that you might be at risk of falling ill yourself and want to avoid visiting areas where cases are reported.
What is malaria?
This is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium. Humans are the only known hosts for the this parasite. The parasite is transmitted to humans by the African Width mosquito.
The parasite then travels through the liver and into the bloodstream, where it causes a disease called malaria. A type of white blood cell called Red Blood Cell (RBC) fight the infection in the body.
The Plasmodium parasite can survive for months in the body and even years in the drain water and soil where it hatched. This persistence of the parasite in soil and water allowed the disease to be accidentally spread to new areas through agriculture and urbanization.
How does malaria get into the body?
Malaria is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes. The mosquito that spreads the Plasmodium parasite also carries the roundworm worm, which is the same parasite that causes Reduviid parasites.
If you’re in a developing country, you might be at risk of getting malaria due to limited healthcare resources, poor hygiene, and the risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes.
However, in areas with better healthcare and hygiene, the disease is a threat mainly due to its high cost.
How does malaria spread in an area?
Malaria can spread quickly in areas where humans and animals co-exist. Humans are the hosts and the parasite is transmitted to them by the bite of an infected mosquito.
The mosquito continually monitors its surroundings to find new hosts. It finds humans by smell, which is enhanced by the presence of carbon dioxide in the air.
The carbon dioxide causes mosquitoes to become attracted to humans because of the smell of frying fish.
The symptoms of malaria
The main symptoms of malaria are headache, fever, chills, weakness, anemia, and vomiting. Other symptoms include muscle spasms, loss of appetite, and dark colored urine.
Malaria can be confused with other diseases such as dengue and yellow fever. However it’s symptoms are more similar to those of encephalitis, so it’s important to be aware of them.
How to identify whether you have malaria
You can avoid getting malaria if you get vaccinated against it. If you’re not sure whether you’re infected, or if you want to be safe, you can also get a blood test to make sure you don’t have the disease. However, if you want to be 100% safe, you can also go the easy route and ask a local villager about his or her health.
Malaria is easy to miss. If you’re not sure whether you’ve been infected, you can also get a urine test. The results of this test can help determine whether you’ve had malaria or not.
Treatment
If you’re infected with malaria, you can expect to feel generally unwell for a few days. As the infection dies down, you’ll feel much better.
However, if you continue to have fever and White Blood Cell (WBC) count above 1000/mm3, your health conditions are worrying. You should seek medical attention immediately.
The current treatment for malaria
At present, there is no specific treatment; it is a curative disease. Most people cured by this treatment are released from the hospital after a few days.
The best treatment is a combination of anti-malarial drugs. The drugs used for treating malaria can be dangerous to people with weak immune systems, so it is important to be careful when selecting a treatment for the disease.
The drugs used for the treatment are called antimalarial. Most people infected with parasite go on to develop a lifelong contract with the disease. This is called malaria-resistance.
To prevent this, people and animals need to be regularly checked for the presence of the parasite.
Side effects of the current treatment for malaria
Side effects of the current treatment for malaria include:
- Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased urination, increased thirst, increased urination frequency, increased salivation, increased appetite, increased number of stool parasites.
- Decreased resistance to infection, decreased fertility, decreased appetite, decreased weight gain, decreased number of eggs produced monthly, decreased fecundity increased risk of developing kidney and liver diseases increased risk of developing pneumonia.
- Increased risk of contracting HIV, increased risk of contracting other infectious diseases decreased immune response, decreased growth rate low birth weight lowered immunity lowered survival rate lowered liver and kidney function, decreased bone formation lowered ability to respond to cancer.
- Increased risk of developing diabetes. Increased risk of developing heart disease Increased risk of developing certain cancers.
- Increased risk of developing high cholesterol. Increased risk of developing mood disorders. Increased risk of developing certain eye diseasesÂ
- Increased risk of developing certain cancers. Increased risk of developing certain congenital conditions. Increased risk of developing certain mental disorders.
- Increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases. Increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel conditions. Increased risk of developing other autoimmune disorders. Increased risk of developing metabolic diseases Increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
- Increased risk of developing blood disorders. Increased risk of developing autoimmune hemolytic anemias. Increased risk of developing other autoimmune diseases. Increased risk of developing other conditions.
Who should get treatment for malaria?
If you think you’ve gotten malaria, you should contact your health care provider. There are a number of conditions that may cause similar symptoms to malaria, so it’s important to rule out these possibilities first.
You should also make sure to get a complete medical history, including any known infections, allergies, or medications you’re taking.
When to See a Doctor?
Considering how quickly the disease can become fatal, it’s imperative to seek medical attention right away. Young children, newborns, and expectant mothers are more likely to experience severe malaria cases.
Seek medical attention if you have a high fever while visiting or living in a malaria-prone area. People should see a doctor even if the symptoms start weeks, months, or even a year after their trip.
How to prevent malaria
People can protect themselves against malaria by wearing gloves when handling feces, covering your mouth when you sneeze, and by abstaining from mosquito bites.
Preventing the disease is the best way to prevent spread of the disease. If you are going to move to an area where the disease is endemic, you can also practice good housekeeping by regularly vacuuming the floors, keeping insecticide-treated bed nets (i.e. mosquito screens) and sticky insect repellents (e.g. permethrin) in your home, and wearing long sleeves and pants when outside.
Concluding thoughts
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease that affects 1.5 million people every year. It only infects 1% of the people who should get it, so it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and how to avoid getting infected. It’s also important to know how to Identification and get rid of the mosquitoes that carry the parasite. It is an infection that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito.
The disease is caused by a parasite found in the blood of humans and animals. It is spread through the bites of an infected mosquito. If you’re in a developing country, you might be at risk of getting the disease due to limited healthcare resources, poor hygiene, and the risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes. But in areas with better healthcare and hygiene, the disease is a threat mainly due to its high cost.
