QUESTION I would like to know whether the malaria prevention medicine could impact the blood test result for malaria? For example, if we did a blood test after taking the malaria prevention medicine, will the blood test result could be positive because of that and we are actually not having malaria parasite inside our body? ANSWER Malaria preventative medication should not give you a … [Read more...]
Is it Common to Die of Malaria?
QUESTION is it common to die of malaria? Why? Why not? ANSWER Thankfully, these days it is not very common to die from malaria. Out of an estimated 250 million cases of malaria around the world every year, there are only about 700,000 fatalities. However, 700,000 deaths every year is still a lot! If left undiagnosed and untreated, malaria can progress very rapidly and be a very … [Read more...]
Long term health effects of malaria when young?
QUESTION I'm trying to find out if having malaria at a young age can have long term effects on health. Around 25 years ago when I was 4 years old I contracted malaria when living in central Africa. Unfortunately I do not know the type of malaria, only that I received medication and recovered without complications. Over the last few years I've had a general feeling of poor health and … [Read more...]
Will Malaria Test Work with No Symptoms Present?
QUESTION I believe my fiance who lives in Kenya has malaria but refuses to go for a test. She has headaches and now flu like symptoms. I am returning in late December, if the symptoms have gone can I still take her for a blood test to see if malaria is still present even if the symptoms subside? ANSWER Most malaria diagnosis in Kenya is done by looking at a small sample of the patient's … [Read more...]
Malaria and the Brain
QUESTION How long does it take malaria to reach your brain? ANSWER The process by which malaria affects the brain is complicated, and the amount of time also varies. First of all, only one species of malaria parasite is associated with the brain - this is Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria. It is dangerous because when it infects red blood cells, it makes them … [Read more...]
How to Take BFMP Specimen for Malaria
QUESTION How to take a bfmp specimen? ANSWER BFMP, when relating to malaria, refer to blood films for malaria parasites. Usually, fingerprick or venous blood is collected from the patient and used to create both a thin and a thick blood film. If using venous blood, the sample should be mixed with an anticoagulant in a vacuum tube. For both thin and thick films, a drop of blood is first … [Read more...]
Slight Malaria
QUESTION Does "slight malaria" mean you have malaria? ANSWER You have malaria if you are infected with the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. However, having a few of the parasites does not mean you experience symptoms of the disease. Some forms of malaria, like P. malariae, can persist in a patient without causing any symptoms. However, in some cases, particularly P. falciparum … [Read more...]
Malaria in Burkina Faso
QUESTION (1)What drug is administered in the first 24 hours after malaria symptoms onset. What side effects have this/these drugs. (2) I it is not possible to reach a treatment facility etc until 7 days after initial chills, fever etc and there are no symptoms remaining other than tiredness what is the drug of choice?. Local people say it is malaria but there is no diagnostic facility near … [Read more...]
Child with Fever – Malaria Symptoms?
QUESTION Three yrs old boy having fever every 20 days for past 5 times. Remains for 2-3 days. Can it be malaria? Never got blood tested. ANSWER Recurrence of malaria every 20 days is not that common, but could be caused by two different events: (1) true relapse, whereby the boy is infected with either Plasmosium vivax or Plasmodium ovale, and the parasite is disappearing from his blood … [Read more...]
My Malaria Refuses to Go Away
QUESTION The symptoms started about 2 months ago and I have used all kind of drugs. I have completed lumartem dose twice and I have used Coartem, I even took chloroquine injection and I am well for a few days and it comes back to the way it use to be, because of so many antibiotics I have taken I now have swellings in my body and in my leg and its making my leg ache and making walking … [Read more...]