Malaria is caused by parasites from the genus Plasmodium, which spread to people through the bite of infected mosquitoes of the Anopheles species.
high fever, which comes and goes.
Initially, malaria feels like the flu with high fever, fatigue, and body aches, with hot and cold stages. Signs and symptoms in children may be nonspecific, leading to delays in diagnosis. People also may have headache, nausea, shaking chills (rigors), sweating, and weakness. Anemia is common in patients with malaria, in part due to the effects of the Plasmodium parasite on the red cells. It is extremely uncommon for malaria to cause skin lesions or rash.
P. falciparum causes a particularly severe form of malaria. In addition to fever, patients may experience complications such as severe hemolytic anemia caused by destruction of the red cells, yellow skin discoloration, kidney failure, pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), cerebral malaria, convulsions, coma, or death.
Malaria is diagnosed by seeing the parasite under the microscope. Blood taken from the patient is smeared on a slide for examination.
Malarial Parasite Plasmodium
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which detects malaria DNA.
There are several medications available to treat malaria, including
· Chloroquine ;
· Atovaquone-proguanil
· Artemether-lumefantrine;
· Mefloquine
· Quininequinidine
· Doxycycline used in combination with quinine);
· Clindamycin
· Artesunate
Most medications are available only as tablets or pills. Intravenous treatment with quinidine may be needed in severe malaria or when the patient cannot take oral medications.
Malaria during pregnancy is very serious even in the best of hands and requires treatment by treating physician.
