Malaria Basics
We are working on our Imagine No Malaria commitment, and one of our first steps is to learn a bit about what we are fighting to eliminate. Malaria is actually a group of 4 illnesses, each caused by one of four parasites. About 300 to 500 million people are infected with malaria, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Malaria kills about 1 million people every year, most of them children younger than 5 years old.
How does a person become infected? Malaria is spread by a type of mosquito called Anopheles-they are active at night. The story begins when a mosquito bites a person who has malaria. The parasites are present within that person’s red blood cells, and the blood cells are the mosquito’s food. The parasites stay inside the mosquito until it bites another person, and then they enter the new victim’s bloodstream.
What are the symptoms of malaria? The symptoms usually appear about 12-17 days after the mosquito bite. They include cycles of fever followed by sweats, chills and fatigue. During the fevers, there are often headaches, nausea, dehydration, and a rapid heart rate. The cycles occur as the parasites infect and then destroy the red blood cells. As the infection progresses, the victim develops anemia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen (both are important organs located in the abdomen). Especially in young children, malaria can cause failure of the lungs, liver or kidneys as well as shock (all of which can kill).
Is malaria treatable? Yes, medicines are available to treat malaria. Many of these medicines are a bit unpleasant to take, but they are safe and inexpensive.
Does malaria occur in the US? Malaria is diagnosed every year in the U.S., basically because people travel abroad and bring the infection back with them. Travelers can prevent this from happening by taking anti-malaria medications when they travel to malaria infested areas. Malaria once was common in the southeastern U.S., but no longer. It’s a reason to be hopeful-if we did it here, we can eliminate malaria in other nations too.
How can we win against malaria? It’s a multi-step approach that includes prevention, education, treatment, and communication.
Prevention-provide bed nets and drain the wet spots where Anopheles lives. When we break the life cycle of the mosquito, we prevent malaria transmission.
Education-teach people how to fight malaria.
Communication-get the critical information to the people even in remote rural areas.
Treatment-improve access to health care for those who are infected.
