QUESTION My name is Olumide and I live in Nigeria. I have had malaria too frequently and it's giving me a lot of concern. I had one last August 2012 and am having another one this October as I am speaking with you. If I should count it, I'll be having nothing less than 6 occurrences in a year. It's always an headache induced malaria whereby after using the ACT combination recommended by WHO, … [Read more...]
Repeated Malaria
QUESTION Since January 2011 I got three times malaria. Is it come regularly? Last week also I got maleria and I took medicine but still I have mild headache and sweating feeling tiredenes in between.. ANSWER The timing of the repeated malaria episodes you have experienced means that it could be recrudescence (where treatment does not completely kill all the malaria parasites in your … [Read more...]
Test for Malaria?
QUESTION Is there a way to verify that someone has had malaria? I had symptoms that were treated with only 10 days of proper 14 days prescription and had a relapse a year later. Have felt weak and keep my drinking to a very light level as a result. Is there test that can be taken to verify having/had plasmodium vivax? ANSWER The best way to test for relapsing malaria (i.e. Plasmodium … [Read more...]
Cyclical Fever and Malaria Symptoms
QUESTION My dad is not well from last one month. In the evening time he feels headache, neck pain and 102 Temp. Can you please tell me can it be Malaria. ANSWER Those symptoms can be characteristic of malaria—cyclical fever is a key symptom, though usually the cycles are every other day or even every third day (depending on the type of malaria). However, in some cases the cycles … [Read more...]
When to Seek Malaria Treatment
QUESTION I have been in New Guinea recently and 2 weeks on am exhibiting all the signs and symptoms of malaria. What is best course of action, considering I do not know what sort of mosquito was hovering about? ANSWER You should visit your physician or a clinic immediately. Depending on where you are, you may have to visit a specialist travel medicine clinic, to be sure that you will be … [Read more...]
Late Malaria Confirmation
QUESTION I was given a field diagnosis of malaria 1 1/2years ago and was treated. Can I still get a blood test to confirm if I truly had malaria? ANSWER That's a very interesting question, and the answer is: it depends. Since you were treated, you will no longer have the parasites in your blood stream, and so you cannot use a traditional blood film, looked at under a microscrope, which is … [Read more...]
Malaria Detection
QUESTION what's the newest form of malaria detection? ANSWER While the traditional form of malaria detection has been through microscopy of a blood film slide, two new technologies have recently emerged. The first is the use of reagent strips, which are impregnated with molecules that bind to various other proteins present in the blood during a malaria infection. These reagent strips are … [Read more...]
Diagnosing Malaria
QUESTION Where in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) can I diagnose malaria? Is it possible within 24 hours? ANSWER Given that malaria is endemic in Malaysia (though not usually found in Kuala Lumpar) you should be able to get a malaria test at most clinics or hospitals. The most common test is a thick and thin blood film, read under the microscope by a qualified technician—in some places, clinics … [Read more...]
Cyclical Fever
QUESTION My husband has been suffering from recurring fever every 3rd or 4th day for the past 7 months. All blood tests are normal, esr ,crp, cultures of urine and blood all normal, chest ct full body pet heart echo all normal. Tested positive for montoux and quantiferon gold, with no symptom other than fever, was put on ATT on 4th JULY 2011 fever persists with no other symptoms. Has been on … [Read more...]
Timing of Malaria Microscopy
QUESTION Contrary to our past beliefs we came to know that malaria slides should be taken during afebrile periods when RBCs remain intact, enabling easier diagnosis of malarial parasites. Is this true? ANSWER That is a very interesting question, which I passed on to a diagnostic expert who serves as an advisor to Malaria.com. His response is as follows: Blood films should be … [Read more...]