Transmission , Symptoms and Signs of Malaria

 Transmission, Signs and Symptoms of Malaria

Malaria has been one of the world's worst killer diseases recorded human history. Despite attempts to eradicate it, it remains one of the worst diseases in terms of death annually, and has actually increased in incidence since the 1970s. About 200 to 300 million new cases worldwide each year, and about 1.5 million deaths, over two-thirds of which occur in Africa. It  is particularly common in Africa south of the Sahara, and is widespread throughout Asia and Latin America. It is used to be common in Europe and North America. Malaria is caused by parasite Plasmodium which is transmitted via the bites of infected female anopheles mosquito.                 

          In the human body, the parasite multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.

Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become severe by disturbing the blood supply to vital organs. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Malaria?- Video

Key interventions to control malaria include: prompt and effective treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies; use of insecticidal nets by people at risk; and indoor residual spraying with insecticide to control the vector mosquitoes.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a group of single-celled microorganism) belonging to the genus Plasmodium. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma or death. The disease is transmitted by the biting of mosquitoes, and the symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten. In those who have not been appropriately treated disease may recur months later. In those who have recently survived an infection, re-infection typically causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if there is no ongoing exposure to malaria.

Malaria is caused by a parasite that is passed from one human to another by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. After infection, the parasites (called sporozoites) journey through the bloodstream to the liver, where they mature and release another form, the merozoites. The parasites enter the bloodstream and infect red blood cells.

The parasites proliferate inside the red blood cells, which then break open within 48 to 72 hours, infecting more red blood cells. The first symptoms usually occur 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, though they can appear as early as 8 days or as long as a year after infection. The symptoms occur in cycles of 48 to 72 hours.