QUESTION what socio-economic and environmental conditions contribute malaria? ANSWER Malaria transmission requires the presence of Anopheles mosquitoes; as such, conditions which favor the growth and persistence of these mosquitoes will also be hotspots for malaria transmission, provided the climate is also sufficiently warm for the development of the parasite within the mosquito. … [Read more...]
Herbal Treatment for Malaria
QUESTION Can any form of malaria be treated by herbs or plants, and how long does it take to recover from malaria? ANSWER Actually, two of the most important kinds of anti-malarial medication are derived by substances found naturally in plants, though they need to be processed in certain ways before the full pharmaceutical effect is felt. Quinine, administered intravenously, is … [Read more...]
Distribution of Malaria
QUESTION Where does malaria mostly take place? ANSWER Malaria is mainly transmitted in tropical regions of the world; while some transmission does occur outside of the tropics, it tends to be seasonal in these areas (i.e. usually only during periods of high temperature/high rainfall). Within the tropics, malaria is found on all continents, though the highest number of cases is in Africa, … [Read more...]
Malaria Beliefs
QUESTION How do beliefs and attitude affect the spread, treatment and prevention of malaria? ANSWER Accurate information and knowledge about how malaria is transmitted, diagnosed and treated is crucial to controlling the disease, for the general public living in malarial areas, travelers to these areas and health professionals. For example, many travelers are unaware that their … [Read more...]
Mosquito Types
QUESTION How many types of mosquito are there? ANSWER There are over 3,500 species of mosquito! However, most of these do not transmit any diseases to humans. Mosquitoes are usually divided into two sub-families, the Anophelinae and the Culicinae. The latter group consists of about 40 genera, including Culex and Aedes, which contain some species that transmit diseases to humans (such as … [Read more...]
Malaria Drugs Side Effects
QUESTION I was affected by malaria 5 months back. I am feeling tiered and weakness and heart trembling symptoms. Any suggestions to overcome weakness? ANSWER Your fatigue is probably not caused by the treatment—one of the potential residual effects of malaria infection is iron deficiency, which can lead to anaemia, and this can cause tiredness. Eating iron-rich foods or asking … [Read more...]
Symtoms of Malaria
QUESTION Please tell me the symptoms of malaria. ANSWER Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Due to the way in which the malaria parasite reproduces in the human body, fevers occurring in a cyclical fashion (i.e. high fever one day, no fever the next day, then recurrence of fever on the third or fourth … [Read more...]
Prevention of Malaria
QUESTION What is the prevention of malaria? ANSWER Malaria prevention consists of a combination of mosquito avoidance measures and chemoprophylaxis. Although very efficacious, none of the recommended interventions are 100% effective. Mosquito Avoidance Measures Because of the nocturnal feeding habits of Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria transmission occurs primarily between dusk and … [Read more...]
Malaria while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia?
QUESTION My husband and I recently adopted our second child from Ethiopia about 3 months ago. We did NOT take Malaria medication because we only stayed in Addis Ababa and did not travel outside the city—or very far from out hotel for that matter. I've recently started very odd symptoms—aches, chills but no fever, general feeling of malaise, runs, dry cough, hot flashes followed by … [Read more...]
How Long Does it Take to Feel Ill from Malaria?
QUESTION How soon does a person usually to feel ill after malaria infection? ANSWER After being bitten by an infected mosquito, there is an "incubation period" before the person begins to suffer from symptoms of malaria. This time corresponds to the period the malaria parasite spends in the liver; it is once it enters the blood and begins to destroy red blood cells that initiate the onset … [Read more...]