QUESTION What are the symptoms of malaria? ANSWER Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Symptoms usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the … [Read more...]
Malaria Prophylaxis – Delaware
QUESTION Where can I get vaccinated for malaria in Wilmington, DE? ANSWER Currently there is no vaccine for preventing malaria. However, there are a number of ways to prevent malaria. These can be placed into two categories: medication and vector protection. For medication, there are drugs you can take to prevent the malaria parasite from developing after being bitten by an infected … [Read more...]
First in Malaria: U.S. or China?
QUESTION Who discovered the world's first malaria vaccine? Is it the US marines in Washington DC or the People's Republic of China? ANSWER Unfortunately there is still no effective malaria vaccine. You might be referring to the race between the US and China to find an effective malarial treatment during the Vietnam War years. Currently, artemisinins, from the wormwood plant, discovered … [Read more...]
Malaria Cure
QUESTION What medicine is good for curing malaria? ANSWER There are lots of different types of medication which are effective against malaria. However, for uncomplicated, unsevere cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends using a type of medication called artemisinin-based combination therapy, or ACT. Again, there are many types of ACTs, so the name may vary depending on what … [Read more...]
How Does Malaria Spread?
QUESTION How does malaria spread? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. Please see on Malaria Symptoms and Causes for more information. … [Read more...]
What is Acute Malaria?
QUESTION What does acute malaria mean? ANSWER Acute malaria is severe malaria, with major signs of organ dysfunction and/or high level of malarial parasites on blood tests. In endemic areas, young children and pregnant women are at high risk for severe malaria. Older children and adults develop partial immunity after repeated infections; these groups are thus at relatively low risk for … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatment Options
QUESTION What can be used or eaten to treat malaria? ANSWER There are many drugs which can be used to treat malaria. Of these, the World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) to be used as first-line treatment against uncomplicated, non-severe malaria, and intravenous artesunate as the first-line therapy against severe or complicated malaria. More … [Read more...]
Diet During Malaria Episode
QUESTION What kind of diet should be followed by a malaria patient, specially when he is vomiting after every intake of food or liquid? ANSWER There are no specific diet specifications for people ill with malaria. Since many people feel nauseous and sick to their stomach (as you mentioned) while they are suffering from the disease, it may be hard to get people to eat anything at all. … [Read more...]
Time Needed for Malarial Parasite to Develop in Mosquito
QUESTION How long must a malaria parasite grow in its host before it can be transmitted to humans? ANSWER The successful development of the malaria parasite in the mosquito (from the "gametocyte" stage to the "sporozoite" stage) depends on several factors, but usually takes 10 - 18 days. The most important is ambient temperature and humidity (higher temperatures accelerate the parasite … [Read more...]
Abdominal Pain During Malaria
QUESTION why abdominal pain in malaria? ANSWER Patients with malaria often experience abdominal pain due to rapid inflammation and swelling of the liver and spleen. … [Read more...]