QUESTION What are the causes of malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by infection with certain single-celled parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Specifically, there are five species which infect humans: P. falciparum (the most severe and dangerous form of malaria), P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi. The symptoms of the disease occur when the parasite enters the blood stream … [Read more...]
Recurrent Malaria
QUESTION can malaria represent itself after 50 years? ANSWER There are two types of malaria which can lay dormant for long periods of time, though I don't personally know of more than a handful of cases where the relapse was a matter of decades after the initial infection. These two types are P. vivax and P. ovale, so if you know you were infected with one of these types a number of years … [Read more...]
Treatment and Management of Malaria Parasite
QUESTION What are the treatments and management of malaria? ANSWER Treatment is actually part of the strategy for managing malaria, so I will come back to that later. The other main ways in which malaria is controlled is through prevention, diagnosis (followed by treatment if necessary) and education. 1) Prevention: There are a number of ways to prevent malaria. These can be placed … [Read more...]
Malaria Effects on the Body
QUESTION What are the effects of malaria on the body? ANSWER Malaria has a number of effects on the body. The parasite passes from the blood (where it enters via the bite of an infected mosquito) into the liver, where it reproduces and changes form. After a period of 1-4 weeks (usually - it can be longer) in the liver, the malaria parasite re-enters the blood and begins to infect red … [Read more...]
Reoccurring Malaria
QUESTION Can malaria reoccur year after year from a single infection? I have been told that it comes back every year by many people. I have had malaria once and it never came back after successful treatment. My thinking is that once the parasite has been eliminated from the system it is gone unless you get bitten again. ANSWER There are several different types of malaria that infect … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention
QUESTION What are the ways in which you can prevent yourself from being infected with malaria? ANSWER Malaria prevention consists of a combination of mosquito avoidance measures (since malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitoes) and chemoprophylaxis (medication to prevent the establishment of malaria in your body, if you do get bitten). Although very efficacious, none of the … [Read more...]
Malaria Testing
QUESTION My daughter is in Kigoma, Tanzania and has the symptoms of Malaria. She was given Duo Cotecxin and it seems to have started making her feel better. But after reading up on all the different types of Malaria parasites I am wondering if a blood test reading at a clinic would be recommended or is it too late for an accurate reading now that she is on meds? ANSWER I am always very … [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...]
Repeated Malaria
QUESTION Since January 2011 I got three times malaria. Is it come regularly? Last week also I got maleria and I took medicine but still I have mild headache and sweating feeling tiredenes in between.. ANSWER The timing of the repeated malaria episodes you have experienced means that it could be recrudescence (where treatment does not completely kill all the malaria parasites in your … [Read more...]
Information About Malaria
QUESTION What is malaria? ANSWER Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a tiny parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito (of the genus Anopheles) which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Four kinds of malaria parasites can infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, … [Read more...]