QUESTION I will be traveling to the Ivory Coast for two weeks. I will be staying with my in-laws in the city in very clean conditions with a/c etc. I am a strict vegetarian so I will be bringing most of my food and will have access to clean water. I myself grew up in an undeveloped nation so I am used to precautions needed to prevent illness. However, mosquitoes do seem to love to bite me. I … [Read more...]
Name of Malaria Parasite
QUESTION What is the parasite of malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. There are four main types of malaria which infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale. P. ovale additionally can be split into two sub-species, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri. Each of these five … [Read more...]
Can my 14 day old daughter have malaria?
QUESTION My 14 day old daughter has a body temperature of about 38.3 C and breathes a bit rapidly. Can it be a sign of malaria? ANSWER In newborns, it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly what is wrong. The majority of newborns who get sick after delivery, get an infection (from bacteria, not malaria). WHO and UNICEF have identified the following "danger signs." If the baby … [Read more...]
Malaria and Impact on Society
QUESTION Where malaria is occurring, and what is the impact on society? ANSWER Malaria takes a huge toll, personally as well as in the larger society. It has been estimated that malaria costs Africa $12 billion USD every year, including the cost of health care, days off school and work, decreased productivity, and loss of investment and tourism. Malaria in Africa slows economic growth … [Read more...]
Malaria Symptoms and Diagnosis
QUESTION My husband is currently working in Mozambique, and is sick with a fever, headache, and pain in his joints. Can this be malaria? ANSWER It could be. Your husband should go to the clinic and get tested. The standard diagnosis for malaria depends on the demonstration of parasites on a blood smear examined under a microscope. In some settings, where microscopic examination is … [Read more...]
Malaria: When is Lab Testing Not Recommended
QUESTION When is parasitological confirmation not recommended? ANSWER It is always best to get a laboratory or rapid diagnostic test for malaria (parasitological confirmation) to make sure the person actually has malaria before giving treatment, and to make sure the treatment is appropriate. There are four main types of malaria which infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. … [Read more...]
URGENT HELP ON MALARIA
QUESTION I 25 yr old male from Lagos, Nigeria. I have been having frequent malaria since 2006 till present. My symptoms are always weakness of the body, feeling cold sometimes not always and also my mouth got better most cases. I have been to the hospital several times and the doctor told me my frequent malaria is because my blood genotype is AA and also am having a malaria parasites. I was … [Read more...]
Testing for Dormant Malaria
QUESTION When malaria is dormant in the body can it be detected in a blood test? ANSWER Not directly, no. A normal malaria blood test consists of a thick or thin smear, which is often stained and then looked at under a microscope; with these tests, you would not be able to see any sign of the malaria which is lying dormant in the liver. However, there is another type of blood test, known … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatment Statistics
QUESTION Where can I find information on the ratio of malaria cases treated annually globally or per country? ANSWER A great resource for information on malaria is the World Health Organisation (WHO). They publish an annual malaria report which also includes lots of statistics about numbers of cases, numbers treated, and numbers of deaths from malaria. Some of the data is even available … [Read more...]
Malaria or Kidney Infection?
QUESTION Two months ago my daughter was in Uganda working and when came back to the States she was hospitalized for 4 days with Malaria symptoms. Her tests came back negative they really didn't act like they knew how to treat this. They kept telling her they didn't know how to diagnosis Malaria. So they treated her for it. She now after 2 months is once again hospitalized with the same … [Read more...]