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Malaria is a tropical disease caused by the presence of a parasite in the cells of the liver, bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and red blood cells in humans. Symptoms of the disease may include chills, a high temperature and an increased heart rate. The World Health Organization deals with the fight against malaria on a global scale.

  1. Over 400 people worldwide die from malaria each year. people. Over 200 million people are sick
  2. 94 percent all malaria cases occur in Africa
  3. Children under 5 are most at risk of developing this disease
  4. April 25 is World Malaria Day
  5. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

Malaria (malaria) is considered to be one of the most dangerous diseases transmitted by parasites to humans. This disease is caused by parasites plasmodium. Parasites are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes Anopheles, called “malaria vectors”. There are 5 species of parasites that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of them – falciparum i P. vivax – are the greatest threat.

Also read: A newborn baby is infected with a virus transmitted by mosquitoes

Malaria Statistics

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) malaria report, there were 2019 million cases of malaria worldwide in 229. Due to this disease, 409 thousand people died. people. In 2018 it was 228 million and 405 thousand, respectively, while in 2017 – 231 million and 416 thousand.

Data for 2020 speak of 384 thousand. victims in Africa. The African region still accounts for a disproportionate share of the global malaria burden. In Africa, there is 94 percent. all illnesses and deaths.

In 2019, infections in the following countries accounted for more than half of all malaria cases worldwide:

  1. Nigeria (23 proc.),
  2. Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%),
  3. Tanzania (5 proc.),
  4. Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Niger (4 proc.).

Children under the age of 5 are the group most at risk of malaria – in 2019, they accounted for 67%. (274) of all malaria deaths worldwide.

Malaria – causes

Malaria is caused by parasites of the genus plasmodium. The intermediate host for them are mosquitoes, mainly moths, therefore the most cases of malaria are recorded in latitudes where this type of insect occurs. Man becomes infected precisely from an intermediate host – a bite of a mosquito that previously drank the blood of an infected person. It is in the body of the mosquito that the parasites differentiate and fertilize, which enter the human bloodstream in the saliva of moths.

The most dangerous species of parasites for humans:

  1. Plasmodium ovale,
  2. Plasmodium knowlesi,
  3. Plasmodium vivat (mobile crab),
  4. Plasmodium malaria
  5. Plasmodium falciparum (sickle-shaped plum).

However, the most common parasites that infect humans are the sickle-shaped plague (the most dangerous) and the mobile plague.

Malaria – The Route of Transmission

In most cases, malaria is transmitted through the bites of female mosquitoes Anopheles. Their family numbers around 400 different species, 30 of which are vectors of malaria. Usually, all these mosquitoes bite between dusk and dawn. The intensity of transmission depends on factors related to the parasite, vector, human host and environment.

Mosquitos Anopheles they lay their eggs in the water, then hatch into larvae, eventually emerging as adult mosquitoes. Any species of mosquito Anopheles has its own preferred aquatic environment, for example some prefer small, shallow ponds of freshwater such as puddles and hoofprints, which are abundant during the rainy season in tropical countries.

Transmission of mosquitoes is more intense in places where their lifespans are quite long and where there are large concentrations of people. Transmission also depends on climatic conditions, temperature and ambient humidity.

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In many locations, broadcasting is seasonal, peaking during and shortly after the rainy season. Malaria outbreaks can occur when climate and other conditions suddenly favor transmission to areas where people have little or no immunity to the disease.

Human immunity is another important factor, especially among adults in areas with moderate to intense transmission conditions. Partial immunity is developed over years of exposure, and although it never offers complete protection, it reduces the risk of severe disease. For this reason, most malaria deaths in Africa occur in young children.

See Fighting Malaria in Cambodia

Malaria – symptoms

Before the symptoms of malaria appear (from the moment of infection), which will allow the diagnosis of the disease – a long time must pass, even several dozen days. This is called the brooding period of malaria, and its length is closely related to the type of parasite infecting it. Unfortunately, the first symptoms of this disease are not very specific, so its diagnosis is a problem.

The symptoms of malaria include:

  1. sudden chills of biting cold and subsequent fever
  2. feeling alternately sudden heat and cold sweat,
  3. fever attack.

Over time, more symptoms start to join, such as:

  1. anemia,
  2. headaches,
  3. nausea,
  4. vomiting,
  5. diarrhea,
  6. fast heartbeat.

Additional symptoms of malaria may include shortness of breath, muscle pain, back pain and disturbed consciousness. In malaria, the patient’s body is gradually destroyed. Also, depending on which type of plague the person has been infected, i.e. depending on the length of its sexual development in the liver cells, spleen and blood cells of the infected person, attacks of chills and fever occur e.g. every 3 or 4 days.

Read: Dirty socks in the fight against malaria

According to the World Organization (WHO), in 2018, nearly half of the world’s population was exposed to malaria. Most malaria cases and deaths have been reported in sub-Saharan Africa. However, regions in Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Pacific and the Americas are also at risk.

Certain population groups are much more likely to contract malaria. Belong to them:

  1. babies,
  2. children under 5,
  3. pregnant women,
  4. patients with HIV / AIDS,
  5. Immigrants insensitive to diseases,
  6. mobile populations,
  7. travelers. 

The editorial office recommends: How to protect yourself against tropical diseases while traveling?

Diagnosis of malaria

In a patient suspected of having malaria, the doctor often finds an enlarged spleen and liver. In addition, the patient’s skin and sclera are slightly yellowish, and the urine is much darker than normal.

The medical interview with the patient (detailed), which concerns information about the endemic zones in which he has stayed, and the microscopic examination of blood taken from the fingertip, is of great importance in the diagnosis. Both a thin smear (specifying the species of the plague) and the analysis of a thick blood drop (it can confirm the invasion of the protozoan) are performed, which are stained using the method of eg Giemsa.

Laboratory tests in the diagnosis of malaria, in turn, reveal a low concentration of white blood cells as well as anemia and thrombocytopenia. The levels of transaminases (ALT, AST), bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase may be simultaneously elevated. If a patient has been additionally diagnosed with hypoglycaemia – we are talking about a poor prognosis symptom.

Malaria – treatment

Malaria treatment can only be carried out by a doctor, because the preparations taken are not indifferent to the human body. The basic method of treating malaria is taking preparations that are supposed to act against malaria parasites. In Poland, patients with this disease are most often treated in specialized hospitals that deal with this type of tropical disease. Preparations are usually brought to such centers from abroad, as the so-called target import.

And in countries where malaria is a common problem, there are many anti-malarial drugs. Currently, it is treated with a combination of many drugs, at least one of which should be a synthetic derivative of artemisinin (an agent used, for example, in Chinese herbal medicines). This type of therapy is known as ACT and is an official treatment approved by many tropical countries.

In addition to the above-mentioned drug, the supportive treatment is also very important, during which the patient is given irrigation drips and antipyretic / anticonvulsants.

Note:

In severe disease, it is necessary to administer intravenous antimalarial drugs (this should always be done in a hospital!).

In addition, there are cases in which transfusions of blood products as well as dialysis and respiratory support with a ventilator are necessary.

Taking the right kind of treatment in a short time allows you to heal completely, but only about 20 percent. patients. When infecting certain types of spores, you should additionally use drugs that work against dormant forms of parasites that can survive in the body of the sick person. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid the recurrence of malaria after treatment.

See: The laser senses malaria through the skin

In most cases, malaria deaths are associated with at least one serious complication, including:

  1. cerebral malaria – if blood cells filled with parasites block the small blood vessels in the brain (cerebral malaria), brain swelling or brain damage may occur. Cerebral malaria can cause seizures and coma
  2. breathing problems – fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) may make breathing difficult
  1. Organ failure – Malaria can cause kidney or liver damage and even rupture of the spleen. Each of these factors can be life threatening,
  2. anemia – malaria damages red blood cells, which can lead to anemia,
  3. low blood sugar – malaria can lower blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), and this can lead to coma and even death.

Read: Malaria causes changes in the bone marrow

Prevention of malaria consists in:

  1. effective treatment of patients in order to, inter alia, elimination of sources of infection,
  2. elimination of mosquito reservoirs (by drying swampy areas and chemical destruction of insects),
  1. protecting rooms or people themselves against mosquitoes (mosquito nets, dusting houses with insecticides),
  2. taking preventive measures against malaria (most often it is chloroquine),
  3. avoiding contact with mosquitoes (especially the kind Anopheles, from dusk till dawn)
  4. air-conditioning of rooms.

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