QUESTION Is malaria similar to Ross river Fever which is common in Australia? If you have Ross River and get bitten by a mosquito can the mosquito pass it on to some one else. ANSWER Ross River fever is similar to malaria in that both are transmitted by mosquitoes. However, Ross River fever is caused by a virus, whereas malaria is caused by a protozoan (single-celled) parasite. Also, the … [Read more...]
Malaria In Africa
QUESTION What factors cause Africans to get this disease? ANSWER The highest number of malaria cases every year occur in Africa, not because of anything specifically due to the people living there (in fact, they may be better protected against malaria than most—I will come onto this later) but because malaria transmission is very high in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and … [Read more...]
What are the symptoms of malaria?
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 … [Read more...]
Frequent Fever
QUESTION I live in Mumbai,India. My mother's age is 56. She is getting fever from last 1 month and also lost her appetite. We have tested for malaria but it is negative. Tried 4-5 doctors but no one is able to detect the exact cause. She feels better for 3-4 days after medication but then again gets a fever. She feels like vomiting while trying to eat something. Please help. ANSWER If the … [Read more...]
Malaria in Mosquitoes
QUESTION Why can't mosquitoes become sick of malaria? What do they have in their system that prevent them from becoming sick yet they transmit the disease to humans? ANSWER First of all, mosquitoes do get "sick" when infected with malaria, though not in the same way as humans. This is due to the major differences between human and mosquito physiology and also differences in the life stage … [Read more...]
When did malaria start?
QUESTION What year did malaria start? ANSWER Malaria first emerged as an infection of humans tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of years ago. The species of malaria that infect humans probably evolved from closely related malaria species that infect macaques (in the case of Plasmodium vivax) and gorillas (in the case of P. falciparum). The earliest records from human … [Read more...]
Malaria Vaccine Research
QUESTION Is there any research to produce anti malaria vaccine, if not, why? ANSWER There are many teams of scientists working hard to try to produce a malaria vaccine. In fact, only last year, the preliminary results of a vaccine trial were published. The vaccine, called RTS,S, has been produced by GlaxoSmithKline and is in the midst of Phase III trials in Africa. The preliminary … [Read more...]
Malaria Transmission and Deaths in the United States
QUESTION How do you get malaria? How does malaria come to the United States? How many people have died from malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by infection with single-celled parasites called Plasmodium. There are five different species which infect humans; of these, Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly. The Plasmodium parasites are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected … [Read more...]
Three Stages of Malaria
QUESTION What are the three stages of malaria? ANSWER The three parts of the malaria life cycle are known as the exo-erythrocytic cycle, the erythrocytic cycle and the sporogonic cycle. The first two of these take place in the human (or other mammal) host, while the third occurs in the mosquito vector. The below diagram, courtesy of the CDC, shows the complete life cycle of malaria in … [Read more...]
P. Falciparum Malaria Treatment
QUESTION I dont have high fever yet have been diagnosed with P. falciparum malaria. How can this disease be treated and is it completely curable? ANSWER Don't worry, if diagnosed early and given appropriate treatment, P. falciparum infection is very easily cured. You should be given a type of medication called artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). An example is Coartem, which is a … [Read more...]