Each year, World Malaria Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the current status of the fight against malaria. We are in the middle year of the World Malaria Day theme of “Invest in the Future. Defeat Malaria," which is set to last until 2015. Funding for malaria control and prevention, as with all international public health endeavors, has always been perceived as a critical issue, but … [Read more...]
CDC Warns of Imported Malaria – U.S. Cases Reach 40 Year High
Increase underscores importance of taking recommended medicines to prevent malaria when traveling In 2011, 1,925 malaria cases were reported in the United States, according to data published in a supplement of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number is the highest since 1971, more than 40 years ago, and … [Read more...]
Exchange Transfusion for Treatment of Severe Malaria No Longer Recommended
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) no longer recommends the use of exchange transfusion (ET) as an adjunct to antimalarial drugs for the treatment of severe malaria. ET is a procedure in which a portion of blood from the infected patient is removed and replaced with uninfected blood. Previously, the rationale for the use of ET in severe malaria was that ET removed infected cells … [Read more...]
Malaria Life Cycle Illustration
QUESTION What is the life cycle of malaria? ANSWER The life cycle of malaria is complex, involving a definitive host, or vector, which for human malaria is a mosquito of the genus Anopheles, and also a human host. Inside both, the malaria parasite undergoes several different transformations and reproductive cycles, which are detailed in the schematic below. You may also view a video of … [Read more...]
Malaria Symptoms Flash Back
QUESTION I got cerebral malaria in Uganda in 1988. Upon returning to the US I was part of an on-going study through the CDC for a couple years. During that time I had recurrence of what appeared to be an 8-10 hour relapse of the severe body aches, disorientation, fever, chills etc. The tropical doctor that was following me informed me that with something as severe as cerebral malaria the brain … [Read more...]
Malaria or Not?
QUESTION I went to Luanda, Angola and Port Hartcourt, Nigeria, Onne, Nigeria and Warri, Nigeria a few times. I suffer with voice problems, muscle control on my right side and some joint pains that have not been explained by my doctors. I have been to doctors in Houston, Tx., New Orleans, La., New Iberia, La. and Franklin, La. and they all say the same thing. They don't know what's wrong … [Read more...]
Malaria in the United States, Years Later
QUESTION For years, I have questioned what sickness I got years ago after a series of bug bites in a bayou in New Orleans. I've just read the symptoms described here and they fit everything I was suffering with. I even had problems with my liver, but I was never tested for Malaria because I had immediately left New Orleans for Italy. I never thought of mentioning it. This mysterious illness … [Read more...]
Duo-Cotecxin and Fansidar as Treatment
QUESTION My husband weighs and has malaria. He was told by the pharmacist to take 2 tablets stat, then 1 daily for five days followed by 3 Fansidar tablets. We live in Papua New Guinea. I see on the Duo-Cotecxin web site the dose is three tabs daily. Which is correct? ANSWER Fansidar is a very different drug to Duo-Cotecxin—it is made of a combination of sulfadoxine and … [Read more...]
Malaria, Hepatitis and Cholera Deaths
QUESTION Up to now how many people died of malaria? Up to now how many people died of Hepatitis A? Up to now how many people died of Cholera? ANSWER It is believed that malaria is singly responsible for the most deaths of humans in history. However, the exact number is impossible to know. Our modern concept of disease as caused by a particular organisms or pathogen is very new, … [Read more...]
Paludrine/Avloclor Anti Malaria Travel Pack
QUESTION Is this anti malaria travel pack suitable for Borneo? ANSWER This kit is NOT appropriate for preventing malaria in Borneo. Avloclor contain chloroquine phosphate, and some types of malaria present in Borneo are resistant to chloroquine. The CDC recommends that travelers to Malaysian or Indonesian Borneo should use atovaquone-proguanil (Paludrine contains proguanil, but the … [Read more...]