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What is malaria?Malaria is an infectious disease, caused by parasites and spread by mosquitoes, which infects 250-500 million people a year. Each year 800,000-1 million people die from malaria. That's the equivalent to 2 deaths per minute or 2700 deaths per day. 85% of malaria-related deaths are young children. Malaria is preventable and treatable. Anti-malaria medication saves lives if administered properly and quickly. Unfortunately, the most at-risk individuals often live in rural villages where they cannot promptly receive the treatment they need. Prevention of mosquito bites is the best method to avoid malaria illness and death. International organizations supply bed nets to individuals and families in malaria-risk areas. Bed nets cost as little as $5 each. Where is malaria found?Malaria is often considered a tropical disease, but it is not limited to tropical regions. Anywhere the Anopheles mosquito lives, malaria has the possibility of spreading. Africa and South East Asia fight the largest battle against malaria, but the disease is also reported in Europe, the United States, and other regions. Who does malaria hurt?Children and pregnant women run the greatest risk of malaria death; however, malaria hurts everyone. Infectious disease is one of the greatest economic drains on Africa, and is estimated to cost the continent $12 billion/year in lost GDP. What are the symptoms of malaria?General symptoms:
Classic symptom pattern: A cyclical pattern of sudden coldness, convulsions and severe shivering, and intense fever that lasts for 4-6 hours. This cycle may repeat every two or three days, depending on the type of malaria. Symptoms in children: Ordinary symptoms are accompanied by high intracranial pressure, abnormal posturing (which indicates brain damage), cognitive impairment, widespread anemia, and retinal whitening. Symptoms in pregnant women: Ordinary symptoms are accompanied by severe anemia, premature birth or miscarriage, enlargement of the spleen, acute pulmonary edema, hypoglycemia, jaundice, and coma.
How does malaria spread?Malaria is a parasite that spreads between humans through mosquito bites. Malaria parasites (gametocytes) are ingested by a mosquito. They create an infectious form of parasite while in the mosquito and are injected into a human victim during a later feeding (sporozoites). The infectious form of the parasite travels to the human's liver where it grows and divides. Malaria may remain dormant in the liver, causing relapses months later. Haploid forms of the parasite (merozoites) emerge from the liver and infect red blood cells. The parasite replicates asexually within the blood cells, bursting them in the process. Some gametocytes (sexual forms of the parasite) also develop and circulate throughout the bloodstream. The mosquito bites the infected human, ingesting the gametocytes and begriming the cycle again.
How do we stop malaria?Malaria is treated with a variety of drugs. Quinine, Chloroquine, and Artemisinin are the most frequently used treatments. Due to widespread use of these drugs, malaria parasites are developing a resistance to traditional treatments. New treatments must be developed to combat drug-resistant malaria. Prevention of mosquito bites is the best line against malaria prevention. Bed nets keep mosquitoes away from humans during the night hours, when mosquitoes most frequently bite. Financial support is needed to find new treatments, vaccines, and cures for malaria. Volunteers are needed to administer medical treatment to the sick in rural areas, to distribute bed nets and provisions, and to raise malaria awareness. Together, we can bite malaria back. |
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