QUESTION Which are the best tablets to take against malaria in Kenya? Is there a malaria vaccination? ANSWER I'll answer your second question first—no, there does not yet exist a commercially available malaria vaccine. Currently, one promising vaccine candidate is undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials in children in sub-Saharan Africa; recently published preliminary findings suggest … [Read more...]
Malaria prophylaxis
QUESTION: What name brand medicine should you take if you are traveling to area where malaria is present? ANSWER: That depends on a few factors, such as where exactly you are going, whether you have had bad experiences with any malaria preventative drugs (prophylactics) in the past, and how much money you want to spend! Common brand names of malaria prophylactic drugs include Lariam … [Read more...]
How soon can malaria occur a second time?
QUESTION: My son is studying in Tanzania and was diagnosed June 28, 2011 with malaria while taking Malarone. He took Duo-Cotecxin as prescribed for treatment and was feeling much better. He was given a "clear" blood test result. He started taking Malarone July 16, 2011 and on June 18, 2011 was ill again and diagnosed with malaria a second time in less than 6 weeks. Can malaria occur in … [Read more...]
Causes of malaria, treatment with drugs and emerging resistance
QUESTION: What is malaria and what causes it besides bacteria? What is the name of the causal agent for malaria, which drug is used to cure it and how do the pathogens become resistant to the drugs? ANSWER: There are many questions in there! Malaria is actually caused by a single-celled animal, called a protozoan; it's not a bacterial disease. There are different species of these … [Read more...]
Malaria effects on body’s digestive system
QUESTION: How does Malaria affect the digestive system? ANSWER: Malaria does not usually affect the digestive system directly, although nausea and abdominal pain can be symptoms of the disease, usually due to the high fevers caused by the infection. Having said that, some of the drugs given as treatment or prevention of malaria are also known to have gastrointestinal side effects; both … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention for Seniors
QUESTION: I am a healthy senior citizen (73 years) and I am considering a trip with Semester at Sea. One of the ports they plan to visit is Ghana. I see the CDC says Ghana is a "high risk" area for malaria. I think I remember being told (at the U of W Travel Medicine Clinic) a few years ago that the malaria drugs are problematic for Seniors. With the Semester at Sea ship stopping at … [Read more...]
Malaria in Brazil
QUESTION: Is there Malaria in Brazil? If so, what pills do I need to take? ANSWER: Yes, there is malaria in many parts of Brazil, and more than one type: about 75% of cases in Brazil are caused by Plasmodium vivax, whereas the rest are from infections with P. falciparum, the more acute and dangerous species of malaria. Brazil does have good information as to the distribution of malaria … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention
Malaria prevention consists of a combination of mosquito avoidance measures and chemoprophylaxis. Although very efficacious, none of the recommended interventions are 100% effective. Mosquito Avoidance Measures Because of the nocturnal feeding habits of Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria transmission occurs primarily between dusk and dawn. Contact with mosquitoes can be reduced by … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatment
Malaria can be a severe, potentially fatal disease (especially when caused by Plasmodium falciparum) and treatment should be initiated as soon as possible. Patients who have severe P. falciparum malaria or who cannot take oral medications should be given the treatment by continuous intravenous infusion. Most drugs used in treatment are active against the parasite forms in the blood (the form … [Read more...]