QUESTION What is the annual blood examination rate in West Bengal? ANSWER The annual blood examination rate (ABER) is a measure of the level of diagnostic monitoring activity. Data from 2007 suggested the ABER in West Bengal was around 5%, which is well below the level of 10% which is recommended for active surveillance and is the target of the National Vector Borne Disease Control … [Read more...]
Lasting Headaches and Malaria
QUESTION I had malaria in July of 2011, returned to the U.S. in August, and had an occurrence of P. falciparum a little more than a month later. It was quickly treated, but I continue to get headaches. They occur about daily, and exercise induces a very severe headache. Is this a common lasting symptom of malaria? ANSWER Once successfully treated, malaria almost never has recurring or … [Read more...]
How is Malaria Treated
QUESTION How is malaria treated today? ANSWER Several different medications exist which are used for the treatment of malaria. The exact drug and method of treatment depends somewhat on the type of malaria the patient is infected with. In most cases of non-complicated (i.e. when the patient is stable and conscious) malaria, the World Health Organisation recommends an … [Read more...]
Chloroquine side-effects
QUESTION For about two years in the early '90s I indulged in self-prescription of chloroquine because then, I lived in a mosquito infested environment which made me suffer constant malarial attacks. Could this be why I now suffer from severe pains around my pelvis and down my thighs to one of my knées? I make this guess as a layman because recently, following a malarial attack, I took a … [Read more...]
Malaria from Dominican Republic?
QUESTION Hi i just came back from the Dominican Republic. I started to have a mild fever, chills, muscle pains, a headache, and a cough. Today the fever and chills are gone but my cough and headache have gotten worse. It hurts my head a lot when I cough, I feel a lot of pressure in my head. Can you please tell me why my head hurts so much. Is this a symptom of malaria? hope to hear from you … [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...]
Cure for Malaria
QUESTION Is there a cure for Malaria? ANSWER Yes. Several different medications exist which are used for the treatment of malaria. The exact drug and method of treatment depends somewhat on the type of malaria the patient is infected with. In most cases of non-complicated (i.e. when the patient is stable and conscious) malaria, the World Health Organisation recommends an … [Read more...]
When was malaria discovered?
QUESTION When did people first discover about malaria? ANSWER Humans have known about malaria as a disease for thousands of years. The earliest written record of malaria is from ancient China, 2700 BCE. The ancient Romans and Greeks also described the symptoms of malaria, though none of these ancient people knew the true cause or had identified specifically how it was transmitted. This was … [Read more...]
Coma and Malaria
QUESTION My sister is in a coma and doctors said its malaria. She is on life support system. Will she come out of it? The liver and kidneys have been affected. ANSWER Without more information, I am afraid it is impossible to know what the prognosis will be. Is she receiving treatment for the malaria? For cases of this severity, intravenous quinine is often the first-line treatment for … [Read more...]
Malaria Relapse
QUESTION I had malaria in Papua New Guinea 40 years ago and had many relapses. I had one 11 years ago and was in hospital for 3 weeks. I have been to a massage therapist who used a hand machine giving out pulses rather strong a bit like tiny electric shots could this activate malaria? ANSWER The reasons why malaria relapses are not well known. Malaria acquired in different places tends to … [Read more...]