QUESTION I had malaria 5 months back it has again reoccurred. this time there has been increase in the size of the spleen. As of now it is being treated but I fear of getting it again. Is it true the malaria which i am down with reoccurs every 6- 8 months ??? Local people call it as registered malaria.. . ANSWER There certainly are types of malaria that can reoccur relatively regularly, … [Read more...]
Long and Short Term Effects of Malaria
QUESTION What are the long term and short term effects of malaria in brief please? ANSWER The symptoms of malaria as an acute infection vary somewhat depending on the type of malaria, but usual signs include high fever (often in a cyclical pattern, with fever one day, then no fever for one or two days, then a recurrence of fever), chills, body aches and nausea. For Plasmodium … [Read more...]
P.vivax Malaria Treatment
QUESTION Which drug should be given to a p.vivax malaria patient with deficient glucose 6-phosphate for prevention of relapse? ANSWER Unfortunately, primaquine is the only drug that is known to kill the latent liver stages of P. vivax and P. ovale. Since it can induce haemolysis in people with G6DP deficiency, this drug is usually not recommended for people with this deficiency. However, … [Read more...]
Recurrent Malaria
QUESTION can malaria represent itself after 50 years? ANSWER There are two types of malaria which can lay dormant for long periods of time, though I don't personally know of more than a handful of cases where the relapse was a matter of decades after the initial infection. These two types are P. vivax and P. ovale, so if you know you were infected with one of these types a number of years … [Read more...]
Malaria Effects on the Body
QUESTION What are the effects of malaria on the body? ANSWER Malaria has a number of effects on the body. The parasite passes from the blood (where it enters via the bite of an infected mosquito) into the liver, where it reproduces and changes form. After a period of 1-4 weeks (usually - it can be longer) in the liver, the malaria parasite re-enters the blood and begins to infect red … [Read more...]
Reoccurring Malaria
QUESTION Can malaria reoccur year after year from a single infection? I have been told that it comes back every year by many people. I have had malaria once and it never came back after successful treatment. My thinking is that once the parasite has been eliminated from the system it is gone unless you get bitten again. ANSWER There are several different types of malaria that infect … [Read more...]
Malaria Testing
QUESTION My daughter is in Kigoma, Tanzania and has the symptoms of Malaria. She was given Duo Cotecxin and it seems to have started making her feel better. But after reading up on all the different types of Malaria parasites I am wondering if a blood test reading at a clinic would be recommended or is it too late for an accurate reading now that she is on meds? ANSWER I am always very … [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...]
Malaria Recurrence and Treatment
QUESTION Since September 2011 I had malaria falciparum. The first medication I took was Coartem, after 2 weeks I had the same symptoms then the test was +1.5 ,i took Coartem again. 2 weeks after the doctor gave me Malarone ,then 19 days it come back . the doc. gave me Quinine -tablets without doxycycline. but no thing change. Until now each 14-25 days the malaria comes back, I ask my doctor … [Read more...]