MALARIA, A DEADLY INFECTION

 

Malaria is a basically a social infection which is also known as a disease of poor. It is a parasitic disease which is caused by a parasite known as plasmodium. It is basically mosquito-borne infectious disease. It is a serious and some time a fatal disease. It is caused by a certain mosquitoes which feed on human. This disease is uncommon in temperate climates while is still common in tropical and subtropical regions.

MODE OF TRANSFER

As this disease is spread by the parasite which is spread by a biting of certain type of infected mosquitoes. That certain type of mosquito is FEMALE ANOPHELES.  The plasmodium is introduced in the blood of a person by the saliva of mosquito, when it bites a person. That then transfers into the liver and remain there till their maturity. Then they burst and transfer all the parasites into blood. This develops the severe symptoms of malaria.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MALARIA

*Plasmodium falciparum

* Plasmodium malariae

* Plasmodium vivax

* Plasmodium ovale

* Plasmodium knowlesi

The most common types of mlaria are Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax while the most serious types of malaria is Plasmodium falciparum, mostly life threatening.

 

SIGN AND SYMTOMS

People who suffer from malaria may recognize by the following sign and symptoms:

*fever

*nausea and vomiting

*headache

*jaundice

*anemia because of loss of red blood cells

*muscle pains

*chills

*general feeling of discomfort

*diarrhea

*profuse sweating

*yellow fever

*loss of fever

*tummy upsets like tummy pains

*tiredness

*flu

*sore throat

*coughing

*kidney failure

*seizures

WHEN WILL SIGN AND SYMPTOMS APPEAR?

Normally the signs appear from 7 to 10 days. But it may have different conditions and incubation time may also differ from a person to person depending on the health of a person.

*If you are using some medicine to prevent infections, incubation time may be prolonged

*If a person has developed immunity from the previous any infection, sign and symptoms may take time to appear.

LIFE THREATNING COMPICATIONS OF MALARIA

Malaria can cause many life taking complications

*swelling of the blood vessels of the brain in cerebral malaria

*an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that causes breathing problems in pulmonary edema

*organ failure of the kidneys, liver or spleen

*anemia due to the destruction of red blood cells

*low blood sugar

DIAGNOSIS

The gold standard for the diagnosis of malaria involves the microscopy visualization of strained parasites in a blood sample. Species determination is based on morphological characteristics of the four species of human malarial parasites and the infected red blood cells.

TREATMENT

At the time of its outbreak for the first time there was no vaccine or medication available and it took a lot of lives and caused a lot of destruction. But now malaria is amongst those diseases that are preventable and treatable. The primary objective of treatment is to ensure a complete cure and elimination of plasmodium from the patient’s blood. So malaria is treated with the prescripted drugs to kill parasite.

Artermisnin-based combination therapies (ACTs)

*Atovaquone-proguanil

*Qunine sulphate

*promaquine phosphate

PREVENTION AND PRECUTIONS

To avoid from malaria and mosquito biting, one should following preventive measures and precautions

*One should be aware of risks

*Bite prevention by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs and using mosquito nets

*Check whether you need anti malarial tablets

*get immediate medical advices

*use of certain insecticide or repellent on your clothing and surrounding

*use of certain sprays to destroy larva