QUESTION: What is the number of cases of malaria reported in Quito, Ecuador? In 1940 was it a common problem? ANSWER: There is no transmission of malaria in Quito - it is at too high an altitude! Transmission of malaria in Ecuador is estimated to stop at around 1500m of altitude, and the central plaza of Quito, Plaza Grande, sits at almost 3000m! As such, even in 1940 malaria in Quito … [Read more...]
Are these malaria symptoms?
QUESTION: My daughter (10yrs) had high fever with chills till 4 days back but now she has low or no fever but feels cold at intervals & for that duration she is feeling giddy & vomittish. A little cough is also their . During this duration she is very uncomfortable & feels she has very high fever. Does all this reflect as malaria symptoms or it is some other problem. Please respond … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatment
QUESTION: What is the proper treatment for people with malaria symptoms? ANSWER: The proper treatment for malaria depends on the type of malaria parasite that the patient is infected with. Therefore, before treatment begins, the patient should be accurately diagnosed. In most cases of non-Plasmodium falciparum malaria (the most deadly form of malaria, found throughout the world but … [Read more...]
What is Malaria?
QUESTION: What is malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Transmitted by mosquitoes, there are several different kinds of malaria distributed throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, causing somewhere between 300-500 million cases of disease each year, and as many as 1 million deaths. In fact, malaria is one of the biggest … [Read more...]
Malaria symptoms
QUESTION: When a person is ill he or she will have what symptoms? ANSWER: Malaria can have many different symptoms, but the initial signs are similar to a flu-like illness, with high fever, chills, headache and muscle soreness or aches. A characteristic sign of malaria is cyclical fever, with peaks of severity every two or three days. Additionally, some people will experience nausea, … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatment
QUESTION: Is there any treatment for malaria? ANSWER: Yes, treatment is available for malaria and most cases can be cured easily if diagnosed accurately and early. There are several different drugs that are used to treat malaria, and different modes of ingestion. Most cases of malaria can be treated effectively with oral drugs, usually artemisinin-based combination therapies (which … [Read more...]
Does malaria affect population vigour?
QUESTION: How is malaria affecting population vigour at present? ANSWER: If I understand your question correctly, you are asking if malaria affects the well-being of populations. In answer, malaria is an extremely debilitating disease in many populations around the world, and is known to severely affect population vigour. People infected with malaria are likely to miss work or school, … [Read more...]
How long has malaria existed?
QUESTION: How long has malaria been going on? ANSWER: The answer to your question depends on the kind of malaria as well as how exactly you define 'malaria'. The parasites which cause all forms of malaria, in humans as well as other mammals and birds, belong to a group called Plasmodium; scientists believe, based on genetic information, that this genus evolved around 130 million years … [Read more...]
What will happen if malaria is not controlled?
QUESTION: In the future, if malaria is not controlled, what will happen? ANSWER: This is actually a really important question. Malaria already kills more than one million people each year, with probably around 3.3 billion people at risk from infection. This number will just increase as the world's population grows, unless successful control measures are implemented. Moreover, climate … [Read more...]
What is Malaria?
QUESTION: What is malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease caused by a parasitic single-celled animal known as Plasmodium. There are different species of Plasmodium, which cause different kinds of malaria. The parasite is transmitted by certain species of mosquito; the parasite lives in the human blood stream and so goes in to the mosquito when the insect feeds. When the same individual … [Read more...]