By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
Malaria is a life threatening mosquito-borne blood disease that is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. The parasite is known as plasmodium to humans, and symptoms of the disease can include fever, chills, and headaches.
There are five types of plasmodium that can cause malaria in humans. They are plasmodium falciparum, plasmodium vivax, plasmodium ovalae, plasmodium malaria and Plasmodium knowlesi. Once a mosquito with the infection bites a human, the parasites multiply in the host’s liver before causing infection and destroying red blood cells. Early symptoms include a fever, and over time, it can affect the internal organs, leading to death.
In some places, early diagnosis can help treat and control malaria. However, many countries lack the resources to carry out effective screening. In 2020, there were around 241 million cases globally and 627,000 deaths due to the disease.
Malaria is most common in 87 countries around the world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. In these areas, factors that increase the risk of the disease being present and easily transmissible include a warm climate, altitude, as the risk may be lower at high altitudes. Other factors include urbanization and a high population density, travel between countries or between cities and rural areas, urban agriculture, open water, such as swampy land, open ditches, unused swimming pools, and leaky water pipes.
The disease is now rare in the United States, but there are around 2,000 diagnoses each year, mostly among people returning from areas where it is common. However, the authors of a 2021 study noted that climate change could cause cases to rise again in the country.
In 2021, the first vaccine against malaria, called RTS (Mosquirix), received approval from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it is not for use by travelers and is only available for children living in certain parts of Africa. For travelers, pills are available to help prevent infection.
Malaria can lead to certain possible complications like liver failure, which can lead to jaundice, kidney failure, unusually low blood glucose, swelling and rupturing of the spleen, shock, which includes a sudden fall in blood pressure, pulmonary edema, where fluid builds up on the lungs, acute respiratory distress syndrome, which affects breathing, as well as dehydration.
With some types of plasmodium, malaria can disappear but return months or years later. This occurs because the parasites have dormant stages, during which there is no disease activity. However, symptoms can occur if they reactivate. Treatment, which a person should undergo after their first episode, is available and can help prevent relapses.
If treated on time, most people with malaria will make a full recovery. Treatment for individuals with the disease are medication to eliminate the parasite from the bloodstream, supportive care, and hospitalization for those with severe symptoms.
The main antimalarial drugs that help to fight the disease are chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, primaquine, artemisinin-based therapy, and atovaquone-proguanil. These treatments usually last for a period of 2 to three days.