QUESTION I contracted common malaria, vivax?, when i was 20 yrs old from long visit to Papua NewGuinea, 1970. Returned to USA and was treated with chloro, primaquine drugs and really no problems since treatment. Now going to Thailand for week, Chiang Mai and region. If bitten by local malarial mosq. am i more likely to recur? And should I certainly choose prophylaxis? thnx ANSWER If … [Read more...]
Malaria or Not?
QUESTION I went to Luanda, Angola and Port Hartcourt, Nigeria, Onne, Nigeria and Warri, Nigeria a few times. I suffer with voice problems, muscle control on my right side and some joint pains that have not been explained by my doctors. I have been to doctors in Houston, Tx., New Orleans, La., New Iberia, La. and Franklin, La. and they all say the same thing. They don't know what's wrong … [Read more...]
New Treatment for Malaria
QUESTION New treatment for malaria? ANSWER The most recently developed type of treatment for malaria actually has very ancient origins. The herb wormwood (Artemisia annua) has been used in ancient Chinese medicine for hundreds, even thousands, of years to cure certain fevers. In the 1970s, a Chinese research program intensively sought new medications against malaria, as part of their … [Read more...]
How Many Affected by Malaria
QUESTION About how many people in the world are affected, die and survive malaria? ANSWER It has been estimated that about 3.3 billion people, or close to half the world's population, is at risk of malaria infection at least at some point during the year. However, preventative measures mean that many fewer actually contract malaria in a given year—still, there are an estimated 216 … [Read more...]
Where Does Malaria Occur?
QUESTION Where does malaria occur? ANSWER Malaria has at some stage or another occurred on every continent of the world except Antarctica. Currently, cases of human malaria are mainly found in Central and South America, parts of the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, parts of the Middle East, south Asia, south-east Asia, and the Pacific Islands of Oceania. Control efforts, mainly consisting … [Read more...]
Malaria Deaths
QUESTION what percent of people die each year from Malaria? ANSWER There are an estimated 216 million cases of malaria each year around the world, and about 655,000 deaths due to malaria. This means that overall mortality from malaria is actually very low, around 0.3%, of those who get infected. However, the majority of the people who die from malaria each year are children, and in … [Read more...]
Malaria and Employees
QUESTION I have a domestic employee that has malaria. I also have a 1 year old baby at home. Is it safe to keep her in employ or should I grant her leave until she is fully recovered? ANSWER Malaria cannot be transmitted between people directly. It is transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito. As such, the only way your baby could get malaria from your employee is if a mosquito bit … [Read more...]
Malaria in Hong Kong and China
QUESTION Is malaria a risk in Hong Kong and Southern China? ANSWER There is no reported malaria transmission in Hong Kong, nor in the provinces directly bordering it in southern China. However, there is some risk of malaria in other parts of southern and central China, notably in the provinces of Anhui, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Yunnan, though rare cases may also be observed in … [Read more...]
Organizations Against Malaria
QUESTION What is a good organization that helps stop malaria? ANSWER There are many organizations that work very hard to control malaria. The most well known are those that design policies and implement projects to control malaria on the ground, in places where the disease is most deadly. These include multilateral international organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health … [Read more...]
Severe Head Pain with Malaria
QUESTION Can severe head pain be a symptom of mistreated malaria? My son just returned from an 8 month trip to Ghana. He had malaria 3 times and typhoid 1 time. He is now dealing with a severe head pain in his frontal lobe. He took doxycycline every day and when he got really sick, he took Coartem. He was finally sent home because they couldn't figure out why he has such severe head pains. … [Read more...]