QUESTION: As a result of a blood test I have just been informed that at some time I have had malaria. Though I have no idea when this was. I once was ill for 4 days with what I thought was flu and that is the only occasion I can remember. Therefore I have never been treated for malaria. Could you please tell me if there is any chance the disease will come back. ANSWER: That will … [Read more...]
Malaria on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea
QUESTION: Is there malaria on Bougainville Island? ANSWER: Yes, Bougainville Island (an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea) is considered a malaria transmission zone, and precautions against malaria are advised when visiting. These include sleeping under an insecticide treated bednet, wearing long-sleeved clothing and insect repellent in the evenings and talking with your doctor about … [Read more...]
Breaking the Promise of Bednets? Let’s Not Jump to Conclusions…
Review of Trape et al., (2011), Malaria morbidity and pyrethroid resistance after the introduction of insecticide-treated bednets and artemisinin-based combination therapies: a longitudinal study, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, published online August 18th. Jean-François Trape and colleagues have been causing quite a media stir with the article they recently published in The Lancet Infectious … [Read more...]
Are there dietary restrictions for malaria?
QUESTION: What are the dietary restrictions of malaria? ANSWER: There are no dietary restrictions, as such, when infected with malaria. A person who is suffering from malaria will have high fevers and potentially nausea, which might decrease the appetite—it is crucially important to try to stay hydrated by drinking lots of fluids and trying to eat when possible. Certain drinks, such as … [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...]
Is malaria contagious?
QUESTION: Is malaria contagious? ANSWER: No, malaria isn't directly contagious from one person to another. It has to be transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, which means that if someone near you has malaria, those mosquitoes that bite him are carrying the disease! So, the best way to avoid getting infected is to make sure neither you nor your brother are bitten by mosquitoes. The best … [Read more...]
What is malaria, and how can it be cured?
QUESTION: What is malaria? How could we cure it? 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 … [Read more...]
Can malaria kill you?
QUESTION: Can malaria kill you? ANSWER: YES! Malaria, especially of the kind caused by Plasmodium falciparum parasites, can be an extremely severe illness and even deadly. Somewhere between 700,000 and 1 million people die of malaria every year, and the majority of these are children under the age of five years old, which is the age group most susceptible to severe malaria attacks. … [Read more...]
What is malaria?
QUESTION: What is malaria? ANSWER: To answer your question, I have copied below the answer to an earlier post, published on the 1st of May, 2011, which also asked "What is malaria?": 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 … [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...]