- Maleria is an intermittent and remittent fever caused by a protozoan parasite which invades the red blood cells and is transmitted by mosquitoes in many tropical and subtropical regions. Maleria is also called plasmodium infection. It is very viral and common in India. It is very dangerous and effective. There are more than 1 million cases of maleria in India.
The severity of malaria varies based on the species of plasmodium.
Symptoms are chills, fever and sweating, usually occurring a few weeks after being bitten.
People travelling to areas where malaria is common typically take protective drugs before, during and after their trip. Treatment includes antimalarial drugs.
Symptoms are chills, fever and sweating, usually occurring a few weeks after being bitten.
People travelling to areas where malaria is common typically take protective drugs before, during and after their trip. Treatment includes antimalarial drugs.
How Maleris spreads
By animal or insect bites or stings.
By blood products (unclean needles or unscreened blood).
From Where derived the word Maleria?
Derived from the Italian word for "bad air," it was originally thought swamp fumes in Rome were the cause of malaria, as outbreaks were a regular occurrence there.4
If left untreated, malaria can be fatal due to the fast reproduction of the parasite within a host's bloodstream.
There are more than 100 types of Plasmodiumparasites, which can infect a variety of species. Scientists have identified five types that specifically infect humans.
Causes of malaria
Malaria is caused by the bites from the femaleAnopheles mosquito, which then infects the body with the parasite Plasmodium. This is the only mosquito that can cause malaria.
The successful development of the parasite within the mosquito depends on several factors, the most important being humidity and ambient temperatures.
When an infected mosquito bites a human host, the parasite enters the bloodstream and lays dormant within the liver. For the next 5-16 days, the host will show no symptoms but the malaria parasite will begin multiplying asexually.7
The new malaria parasites are then released back into the bloodstream when they infect red blood cells and again begin to multiply. Some malaria parasites, however, remain in the liver and are not released until later, resulting in recurrence.
Symptoms of malaria
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), malaria symptoms can be classified in two categories: uncomplicated and severe malaria.
Uncomplicated malaria is diagnosed when symptoms are present, but there are no clinical or laboratory signs to indicate a severe infection or the dysfunction of vital organs. Individuals suffering from this form, can eventually develop severe malaria if the disease is left untreated, or if they have poor or no immunity to the disease.
Symptoms of uncomplicated malaria typically last 6-10 hours and occur in cycles that occur every second day, although some strains of the parasite can cause a longer cycle or mixed symptoms. Symptoms are often flu-like and may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in areas where malaria is less common. In areas where malaria is common, many patients recognize the symptoms as malaria and treat themselves without proper medical care.
Uncomplicated malaria typically has the following progression of symptoms through cold, hot and sweating stages:
- Sensation of cold, shivering
- Fever, headaches, and vomiting (seizures sometimes occur in young children)
- Sweats followed by a return to normal temperature, with tiredness.
