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Malaria kills...Kill Malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. 

Is malaria contagious?

Malaria can spread without a mosquito. This occurs rarely and is usually found in a transmission from the mother to the unborn child (congenital malaria), by blood transfusions, or when intravenous-drug users share needles.

Malaria Cycle

Risk factors

The biggest risk factor for developing malaria is to live in or to visit tropical areas where the disease is common. Many different subtypes of malaria parasites exist. The variety that causes the most lethal complications is most commonly found in:

• African countries south of the Sahara desert
• The Indian subcontinent
• Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Haiti 

How do physicians diagnose malaria?

The symptoms of malaria can mimic many other diseases, including influenza or a viral syndrome. It is therefore important to inquire about a history of recent travel to an endemic area or other possible exposures.

• The definite diagnosis is made by looking at the blood of an infected patient under the microscope (blood smear) and identifying the presence of the parasite. The patients' blood is prepared under a slide with a specific stain to help identify the parasite. This is the most widely performed and accepted test.
• Rapid diagnostic tests (antigen tests) are available that can give the diagnosis in a few minutes. It is recommended that a positive test is followed with a blood smear examination.

What is the treatment for malaria?

Besides supportive care, the medical team needs to decide on the appropriate antibiotics to treat malaria. The choice will depend on several factors, including

• the specific species of parasite identified,
• the severity of symptoms,
• determination of drug resistance based on the geographic area where the patient traveled.

Physicians will administer the medication in pill form or as an intravenous antibiotic depending on above factors.
The most commonly used medications are

• chloroquine (Aralen),
• doxycycline (Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox),
• quinine (Qualaquin),
• mefloquin (Lariam),
• atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone),
• artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem)

 

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