MALARIA

Known as: MALARIA

About: Parasitic Protozoa

Microscope: Unicellular micro-organism.

What can it do: Malaria is caused by the bite of the infected female mosquito. When the mosquito bites the human the saliva of the parasite causes the transfer of live parasites to enter the circulatory system and cause infection. The parasites make their way to the human liver to mature and reproduce. The parasites then return to the blood stream and attack the red blood cells of the host.  Malaria can make a person very very ill and depending on the strain can even cause death. For people who have liver function problems already Malaria can cause much more serious complications and death so it is very important to take extra care not to be bitten by a Malaria infected mosquito.

Help: People who show signs of Malaria should be treated by a doctor or in hospital.  When a person expects to travel to an area where Malaria is known to be common, they should take preventative measures such as Malaria tablets that are prescribed by a doctor. Anti Malaria tablets are usually prescribed for a specific geographical location and so it is important to tell the doctor where you will be travelling to.  If a person becomes infected, they must begin a course of treatment as soon as possible so it is important to watch for symptoms of Malaria when you have been travelling to an area known to be at risk and even when you have been taking the preventative medication as it is still possible to become infected.  Malaria must be treated by a health professional as soon as it is known a person has become infected.  It is important to also do your best to avoid being bitten by an infected mosquito by using insect repellents continuously when in any location where Malaria mosquito’s are known to inhabit.  Body sprays and sprays that can be used in a room and mosquito nets are options that people use frequently to avoid being bitten.  Mosquito’s can bite through thin clothing so clothing must also be sprayed to be more confident that you will avoid bites.

Infectious rating: Malaria is not transmitted from person to person as with a cold or flu but Malaria can be transmitted to another person if they receive a blood transfusion or an organ transplant, or come into contact with an infected person's blood and the infection enters their blood stream, for example if sharing syringes. You cannot catch Malaria just by being close to another person, you have to be infected by the blood of another infected person.

I feel sick: Malaria attacks the red blood cells and has many symptoms including fever, hot and cold chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Malaria is an extra sneaky infection because it can sleep or be dormant in a persons blood stream, depending on the strain and cause symptoms weeks or months after a person becomes infected. This is because some of the parasites hibernate and when they come out of hibernation, they can make you ill for the first time or ill again, if you were treated by a doctor but the infection was not totally cleared from your system. Malaria symptoms can begin to show within 10 days and up to 4 weeks of being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Skin symptoms: Because Malaria affects the liver, some symptoms can be seen in the skin. People can have jaundice or a yellowing of the skin and eyes.  The anti Malaria medication can cause a rash.

Tummy/intestine symptoms

Malaria can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. 

GEOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS

In 2010 the World Health Organisation confirmed that there were an estimated 219 million cases of Malaria resulting in 660,000 deaths.