QUESTION Healthy 30 year old male, arrived in West Africa 2 weeks ago, using doxycycline as prophyaltic but not systematically—I know I missed a day or two, and had not taken it before arriving; lots of mosquito bites. Also believe my doxy to be expired—how long is it good for in capsule form? Doesn't have expiry on my prescription. Symptoms showed up around day 7 in Mali: sore … [Read more...]
How to Control Malaria
QUESTION Suggestions to control malaria? ANSWER This answer is copied from an earlier question asking about strategies for controlling malaria in Africa. The methods below are being used by many health ministries, international agencies and non-governmental organisations to combat malaria all over the world (and not just in Africa). Currently, malaria control is based on a combination … [Read more...]
Passing Malaria to Baby
QUESTION I contracted Malaria 3.5 years ago (either in Uganda or Rwanda). I believe it was the Plasmodium falciparum strain. Upon my diagnosis, I was treated and have been healthy since. In regards to pregnancy, is it safe for me to have a baby? What are the chances of passing the malaria virus to the baby? ANSWER First of all, malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite, not a … [Read more...]
Three Attacks of Malaria
QUESTION I am right now recuperating from a third attack in less than one year's time. What could have gone wrong ? I am awaiting to hear your advice. ANSWER There are a number of reasons for multiple malaria attacks. One is that although malaria can be easily treated, these treatments often don't prevent re-infection. There are separate drugs which can be used to prevent malaria … [Read more...]
Medicines to Prevent Malaria?
QUESTION Which medicines are used to prevent malaria? ANSWER There are a number of drugs used to prevent malaria infection, known as malaria prophylactic medication. These vary in terms of how they are taken, how long they are taken for, how much they cost and the typical side effects people experience while they are taking them. In addition, some are recommended more highly for certain … [Read more...]
How is Malaria Cured?
QUESTION How is malaria cured? ANSWER Malaria can be cured with a number of different medications, depending on then type of malaria and how far the disease has been progressed. For standard, non-complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the World Health Organisation recommends use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), such as Coartem. This is due to increasing levels of … [Read more...]
Do Sporozoites in blood signal the end of prepatent period?
QUESTION Will the appearance of sporozoites in blood mark the end of prepatent period in malaria? ANSWER Actually, no. The presence of sporozoites indicates the start of the infection. Sporozoites are introduced into the bloodstream via the bite of an infected mosquit0. The sporozoites then have to make their way to the liver and infect hepatocyte cells, where they undergo … [Read more...]
Dietary Values in West Africa
QUESTION In many West African countries where malaria attacks the general population of the people what is their dietary intake like? What are their foods or nutritional values? ANSWER In most West African countries, the diet is dominated by starchy tubers or grains, such as cassava, rice, sorghum and millet. This base foodstuff is often served alongside a vegetable or meat-based stew or … [Read more...]
How did it get the name “malaria”?
QUESTION How did malaria get its name? ANSWER The word "malaria" comes from Italian, "mala aria" which literally translates to "bad air". This came from the ancient association, traced back as far as the ancient Greeks and Romans, that the disease was associated with swampy, marshy areas where the air smelled bad. The mechanism of transmission was not known back then, nor did they … [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...]