Malaria and its prevention
25 April is World Malaria Day. Since this is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases, which is most often transmitted to the human body through the bite of mosquitoes, we tell you how to recognize the symptoms of the disease and what measures should be taken.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites (plasmodia malaria), which are transmitted from a patient to a healthy person through the bites of malaria mosquitoes. The disease is most common in countries with a tropical climate.
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The disease begins with malaise, weakness, headache, pain in the muscles, joints, lower back, dry mouth, then - attacks of a sharp increase in temperature, vomiting, digestive upset, cough, disorders of the nervous and other body systems. Without treatment initiated on time, the disease can result in death.
Current epidemic situation
Malaria is home to 2.4 billion people, or 40% of the world's population.
Every year, between 300 and 600 million people become infected with malaria, and according to the WHO, this figure is increasing by 16% annually. From 1.5 to 3 million people die each year from malaria (15 times more than from AIDS ). Over the past decade, from the third place in the number of deaths per year (after pneumonia and tuberculosis ), malaria came out on top among infectious diseases.
More than 100 countries, half of which are in Africa, are malaria-deficient. Other foci of mass disease are India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Colombia.
The causative agent of malaria and its development
The source of the causative agent of malaria is a sick person or parasitic carrier, and mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles are the carrier . In the body of mosquitoes that have drunk the blood of a sick person, a large number of active malarial parasites are formed, which, when bloodsucking a mosquito, first enter the bloodstream, then into the cells of the human liver.
In humans, there are five forms of malaria caused by the corresponding type of malarial plasmodium.
Clinical manifestations of malaria
All types of malaria are characterized by repeated bouts of fever with high fever, chills, general malaise, headache, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen. The severity of the course is due to the type of pathogen, the number of parasites in the blood, the age of the patient (young children are most severely ill), the state of the immune system (pregnant women, HIV-infected people are a risk group), genetic features.
Symptoms of the disease appear 7 or more days (on average 10-15 days) after the bite of an infected mosquito. In some cases, symptoms can linger up to 5-12 months. During this period of time, the process of transformation and accumulation of the parasite in the liver cells occurs. Only specific antimalarial drugs can stop the entire disease process.
Malaria diagnosis
The main parasitological method for diagnosing malaria is the detection of malarial plasmodia in peripheral blood (from the finger). A blood test for malaria in febrile patients can be carried out regardless of the stage of development of the disease.
Treatment
Treatment of a patient with malaria should be carried out only in a hospital with antimalarial drugs, under the strict supervision of a doctor. If you do not start treatment within the first 24 hours, malaria can develop into a serious illness, often fatal.
Malaria Prevention
The fight against mosquitoes, the treatment of premises with insecticides, the prevention of mosquito bites.
Protection from mosquito bites should be provided both during the stay indoors and out. In order to maximize protection of open body surfaces from mosquito bites, it is recommended to wear long-sleeved clothing, trousers, a long dress in the evening. On exposed parts of the body, repellents should be applied.
After dusk, it is recommended to be in rooms inaccessible to mosquitoes.
You should sleep under special nets treated with a long-acting insecticide.
In order to prevent the development of malaria, it may be necessary to take preventive medications (chemoprophylaxis) before the trip, during it and after returning. The drug and the regimen are prescribed individually by the doctor, depending on the indications and the country where the tourist is going.
Upon returning from travel, you should pay attention to your health condition. Enter in the outpatient card information on visiting the malaria endemic zone. If you have any complaints, and especially a rise in temperature, you should immediately consult a doctor and be examined for malaria.
Always prevent yourself from Malaria
Article By Vigoheal
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