QUESTION My husband will be traveling to Ghana soon. We have Mefloquine and Primaquine. Which one do you think is best for prophylaxis in Ghana? He also has Fansidar, but we understand it's best not to use this for prophylaxis. Thank you for your help! ANSWER There are positives and negatives associated with both of these medications. Mefloquine is recommended for travelers in Ghana … [Read more...]
Persistent Antibodies to Malaria?
QUESTION I had malaria as child, more than 30 years ago. It was successfully treated with no relapse. I have since travelled to malaria- endemic countries, but the last time was over 3 years ago. No symptoms. I recently donated blood and routine screening has detected malaria antibodies. How long do the antibodies persist? ANSWER Based on your experience, I would say at least three years! … [Read more...]
Malaria in the United States, Years Later
QUESTION For years, I have questioned what sickness I got years ago after a series of bug bites in a bayou in New Orleans. I've just read the symptoms described here and they fit everything I was suffering with. I even had problems with my liver, but I was never tested for Malaria because I had immediately left New Orleans for Italy. I never thought of mentioning it. This mysterious illness … [Read more...]
Malaria Effects on the Body
QUESTION What are the effects of malaria on the body? ANSWER Malaria has a number of effects on the body. The parasite passes from the blood (where it enters via the bite of an infected mosquito) into the liver, where it reproduces and changes form. After a period of 1-4 weeks (usually - it can be longer) in the liver, the malaria parasite re-enters the blood and begins to infect red … [Read more...]
Affected by Lariam… How to Help?
QUESTION Five years ago my husband was working in Africa. To get protection against malaria, he took Lariam. Since then, he became strange, poor sleep, constant depression, insecurity and distrust, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, anger, strange behavior. I insisted to see a doctor, but he refuses, saying that this is the problem of diabetes (he has type 2 diabetes) and stress at … [Read more...]
Malaria and Pregnancy
QUESTION Can your baby become immune if you're pregnant and you have malaria? ANSWER Some of the protective antibodies that the mother produces when she has malaria can pass to her baby via the placenta. There is also evidence for immune system "priming" in foetuses when their mothers have been infected my malaria during pregnancy. However, these potentially protective effects are usually … [Read more...]
Sterilizing Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria
QUESTION Is it possible to breed mosquitoes in the laboratory and then sterilize them and release them into the environment in order to reduce their rate of reproducing. ANSWER That is a very good question, and indeed efforts to genetically modify mosquitoes in order to control the various diseases they transmit are underway in many laboratories across the world. For almost 15 years, … [Read more...]
Reoccurring Malaria
QUESTION Can malaria reoccur year after year from a single infection? I have been told that it comes back every year by many people. I have had malaria once and it never came back after successful treatment. My thinking is that once the parasite has been eliminated from the system it is gone unless you get bitten again. ANSWER There are several different types of malaria that infect … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention
QUESTION What are the ways in which you can prevent yourself from being infected with malaria? ANSWER Malaria prevention consists of a combination of mosquito avoidance measures (since malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitoes) and chemoprophylaxis (medication to prevent the establishment of malaria in your body, if you do get bitten). Although very efficacious, none of the … [Read more...]
Taking other Pills with Malaria Medication
QUESTION If Its okay to take ACE DIET supplements if Im taking MALARIA pills? ANSWER If you are taking natural ACE supplement pills, then the active ingredients are usually caffeine, cocoa and maybe green tea. None of these compounds has any observed interaction with malaria pills, so they should be safe to take at the same time. However, without knowing exactly which type of ACE pills … [Read more...]