QUESTION: How does malaria infect the body? ANSWER: Malaria is transmitted to humans via certain species of mosquito. The parasite that causes malaria, called Plasmodium (there are several species, which cause slightly different forms of the disease), lives in the saliva of the mosquito and is introduced into the human blood when the mosquito bites through the skin. It is interesting to … [Read more...]
How Many Deaths Result from Malaria?
QUESTION: Can you tell me, how many deaths result from malaria till today? ANSWER A lot! I think it is impossible to get an exact number, or even a decent guess - data on malaria deaths even in modern times are estimates at the best of times, and we have no way of knowing how many people were exposed to and/or died of malaria in ancient times. Current estimates as to the annual number … [Read more...]
Is there malaria in Papua New Guinea?
QUESTION: Is Papua New Guinea infected of malaria? ANSWER: There is malaria in many parts of Papua New Guinea, and especially in the coastal regions. Chloroquine-resistant malaria has been reported from PNG so if travelling to malarial zones in the country you should ask your doctor about getting a prescription for another form of prophylaxis (preventative drugs), such as Malarone, Lariam … [Read more...]
How did malaria start?
QUESTION: When did malaria happen? ANSWER: It is believed that Plasmodium, the parasite which causes malaria in a wide variety of animals, first evolved in reptiles. Even today, reptiles are infected by species of Plasmodium that are related to those that infect humans. The parasite probably then evolved to infect birds, and then, more recently, to infect mammals. Many mammals can be … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention for Seniors
QUESTION: I am a healthy senior citizen (73 years) and I am considering a trip with Semester at Sea. One of the ports they plan to visit is Ghana. I see the CDC says Ghana is a "high risk" area for malaria. I think I remember being told (at the U of W Travel Medicine Clinic) a few years ago that the malaria drugs are problematic for Seniors. With the Semester at Sea ship stopping at … [Read more...]
Safety of Bed Net Insecticides
QUESTION: Are the insecticides used on the bed nets safe? What are the brand names and chemical names of those insecticides, and can you point me to any studies that have been done to determine their safety? ANSWER: The short answer is yes, the insecticides used in bednets are safe under the conditions in which people are exposed to them through using bednets. Most standard bednets … [Read more...]
Reduce Risk of p.falciparum
QUESTION: I am laboratories man. My question is the risk of P. falciparum especially for mother and children is very high. How can we reduce this risk? ANSWER: That's a crucial question for malaria control. Certainly, as you say, the risk of severe malaria is much greater for young children and for pregnant women. As such, these high risk groups should be targeted during prevention … [Read more...]
Is there Malaria in Naboomspruit, South Africa?
QUESTION: Is Naboomspruit in South-Africa a malaria area? ANSWER: Naboomspruit (also known as Mookgopong) is located in Limpopo province in South Africa; malaria is endemic in parts of this province, namely the eastern border of South Africa (next to Mozambique and Swaziland), and including popular tourist areas such as Kruger National Park. In these regions, precautions against malaria, … [Read more...]
How to Prevent Malaria
QUESTION: What is the prevention of malaria? ANSWER: Malaria can be prevented in a number of ways, the main three of which are bite reduction, prophylaxis and vector control. Bite reduction just means steering clear of mosquitoes, and specifically those that transmit malaria. These bite mostly between dusk and dawn, so if walking around at these times of day in a malarial area, it is … [Read more...]
How Many Types of Human Malaria?
QUESTION: How many types of malaria infect humans? ANSWER: 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 sympatric sub-species, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri. Each of these five kinds has a subtly different life cycle which results in slight variations in symptoms and … [Read more...]