QUESTION What are the high, low and no-risk areas for malaria in South Africa? ANSWER Malaria has been successfully controlled in many parts of South Africa, with the result that most of the country is not at risk for malaria transmission. However, some pockets of higher risk remain in the north-eastern corner of South Africa (north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, with the southern-most limit of … [Read more...]
How is Malaria Treated
QUESTION how is malaria treated? ANSWER Malaria can be a severe, potentially fatal disease (especially when caused by Plasmodium falciparum) and treatment should be initiated as soon as possible. Patients who have severe P. falciparum malaria or who cannot take oral medications should be given the treatment by continuous intravenous infusion. Most drugs used in treatment are active … [Read more...]
Treatment Duration of Lumartem
QUESTION I am on the lumartem treatment. I started at 8am to 4 pm. then 4am. i forgot to take the drugs at 4pm, but took it at 8;30o. Should I start all over or continue at 4am or 8 am? ANSWER If you miss a tablet, you should take the next one as soon as you remember, then wait the required interval before taking the pill after that. So, since you took the missed pill at 8.30, you should … [Read more...]
Is Urticaria a Symptom of Malaria?
QUESTION Is urticaria a symptom of malaria? ANSWER Yes, urticaria, also known as hives, is associated with malaria infection. It is more commonly known from infection with Plasmodium falciparum but has also been reported as accompanying P. vivax infection. … [Read more...]
Transmission of Malaria from Person to Person
QUESTION I was in Lagos, Nigeria and i was bitten. I had stomach ache and diarrhea for a day then back to normal. Just for precaution I checked my blood and the doc said that I have a mild malaria in my blood and he gave me a medicine. If i have malaria can I affect or transmit the malaria to other people like my friends or my wife by the saliva or by any means? ANSWER No, you cannot … [Read more...]
Treatment of recurrent Malaria
QUESTION If one takes the first dose of Coartem and tests indicate presence of malaria parasites,is it advisable to take a second round of coartem, or to start on quinine? Is quinine usually administered on its own or in conjunction with another drug? At what point is malaria considered complicated? ANSWER Usually, if a first round of treatment is unsuccessful, a doctor will prescribe a … [Read more...]
Dormant Malaria
QUESTION I was bitten by mosquitoes many years ago and I was wondering can the symptoms lie dormant for as long as 40 years? The reason I am asking is that every summer I am ill with several of these symptoms. I do not have a good immune system. ANSWER There are a couple of types of malaria, namely Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale, which can lie dormant for many years, and often … [Read more...]
Malaria and Weight Loss
QUESTION Can malaria make you lose weight? Can malaria cause itching in the body. ANSWER Since malaria is often associated with extreme nausea and high fever, this can often cause people to lose their appetite and not eat properly while they are experiencing infection, leading to weight loss. However malaria is usually quite an acute infection, lasting a few days to at most a few … [Read more...]
Massage Therapy and Malaria
QUESTION What massage therapy has helped with malaria and what effects did it have on the patient? ANSWER As far as I am aware, massage therapy has never been shown to have any positive effects on malaria infection. If a patient has malaria, they must receive medical treatment, either in the form of oral tablets or if the disease has already progressed to a severe state, intravenous … [Read more...]
Malaria Parasite
QUESTION Which parasite transmits malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito. The parasite passes into the blood of the human patient when the mosquito bites, via its saliva. There are five species of Plasmodium which normally infect humans: P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. vivax and P. knowlesi. … [Read more...]