Aging and Malaria

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QUESTION

Is there any evidence that successfully treated malaria (when young or a young adult), has any deleterious effects for patients in their 70s and 80s? Is risk of vascular disease, stroke, or MIs any greater?

ANSWER

I don’t think there is any evidence for any long-term deleterious effects of malaria that was successfully treated, particularly if the malaria infection was non-complicated and did not result at the time in any severe cerebral complications (coma, impaired consciousness, etc).

Is it Common to Die of Malaria?

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QUESTION

is it common to die of malaria? Why? Why not?

ANSWER

Thankfully, these days it is not very common to die from malaria. Out of an estimated 250 million cases of malaria around the world every year, there are only about 700,000 fatalities. However, 700,000 deaths every year is still a lot!

If left undiagnosed and untreated, malaria can progress very rapidly and be a very serious disease. This is particular true of Plasmodium falciparum, a specific type of malaria which is found throughout tropical regions in South America, Africa and Asia.

It is dangerous because it reproduces very rapidly in the body and can cause red blood cells to clog up inside blood vessels in organs, restricted blood flow. When this occurs in blood vessels in the brain, the patient may suffer “cerebral malaria,” which can rapidly lead to loss of consciousness, coma and even death if not treated promptly.

The people most at risk from malaria are children under the age of 5 and pregnant women, and so it is particularly important for these people to seek medical care very quickly if they suspect they have malaria.

On a positive note, deaths from malaria are becoming less common around the world due to a number of factors. First of all, there have been many very successful prevention strategies, for example through distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated bednets to at-risk communities living in malaria endemic regions. Indoor residual spraying with insecticides have also drastically reduced the number of mosquitoes in households where this procedure has been carried out, thus reducing transmission. Moreover, improvements to point-of-care diagnostics and other health infrastructures have enabled poor people in developing countries to have access to ways in which their infections can be diagnosed, and then given the appropriate treatment. All of these measures have brought the number of annual deaths down from 1 million just a few years ago to 700,000 today.

The goal is yet more ambitious: organisations such as Malaria No More seek to eliminate deaths from malaria, all over the world, by the year 2015. So, we hope in 2015 we can add to this answer by saying it is now very rare indeed to die from malaria!

Long term health effects of malaria when young?

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QUESTION

I’m trying to find out if having malaria at a young age can have long term effects on health.

Around 25 years ago when I was 4 years old I contracted malaria when living in central Africa. Unfortunately I do not know the type of malaria, only that I received medication and recovered without complications.

Over the last few years I’ve had a general feeling of poor health and fatigue. Blood tests indicate I have some level of liver damage but I’m at a loss for the cause.

Is there any chance of having picked up liver damage (or other long term effects) from contracting malaria at a young age?

ANSWER

There is little evidence for any long term complications associated with uncomplicated malaria infection. One thing to investigate might be the type of malaria you had as a child; Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale, while not as common as Plasmodium falciparum in Central Africa, both occur in this region, and differ from P. falciparum in that they can have a dormant liver stage.

While I still have not heard of liver problems being associated with dormant malaria parasites, it is conceivable that if you had one of these two types of malaria and did not have the liver stages treated, you might later feel some ill effects; relapse from P. vivax has been known to occur decades after the initial infection. The good news is that there is a drug available, called primaquine, which can kill these liver stages (known as hypnozoites). So, if you know you had P. vivax or P. ovale, you could mention this possibility to your doctor—prior to taking primaquine you should have a test for G6DP deficiency, as such as deficiency makes it dangerous to take this medication.

If you have ever taken anti-malaria medication, please take Malaria.com’s brief Malaria Medication Side-effects Survey: Treatment and Prophylaxis.

Will Malaria Test Work with No Symptoms Present?

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QUESTION

I believe my fiance who lives in Kenya has malaria but refuses to go for a test. She has headaches and now flu like symptoms. I am returning in late December, if the symptoms have gone can I still take her for a blood test to see if malaria is still present even if the symptoms subside?

ANSWER

Most malaria diagnosis in Kenya is done by looking at a small sample of the patient’s blood under the microscope. Unfortunately, using this method, it is almost impossible to detect malaria that is non-symptomatic. In this case, one option would be to use a rapid diagnostic test which looks for antibodies in the blood against malaria – as these antibodies can sometimes persist after the infection has subsided, it can sometimes tell you whether that person recently had malaria. These rapid diagnostic tests are available in most of the main cities in Kenya, in larger pharmacies, and maybe even in some big supermarkets like Nakumatt. However, given how rapidly malaria can progress and how serious is can become, I would highly recommend that your girlfriend goes to a clinic or doctor and has a malaria test! That way she can receive treatment early, before her symptoms get worse.

Is Malaria Related to Chronic Fatigue and Hair Loss?

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QUESTION

I was in Ghana one year ans 6 months ago when I contracted malaria. I was hospitalised for one day and treated with coartem for 3 days. I was treated with antibiotics for typhoid also however I had been vaccinated against this prior to my trip.

Since my return I began loosing significant amount of hair from my head and suffer fatigue after small amounts of exercise and work. I never suffered from these ailments before having malaria. I consulted my doctor who suggested multivitamins which have reduced the hair loss however the fatigue persists.

I wish to know is the fatigue related to malaria and is there anything I can do to improve this problem. Generally I am fit and healthy, eat well and engage in regular exercise.

ANSWER

It is very unusual for malaria to have any long term health effects once the infection has been successfully treated. It is possible that you are suffering from some residual anemia, which can be caused by malaria, though is more likely due to iron deficiency in your diet. Given that you clearly were deficient for other nutrients (as shown by the positive effects seen when you started taking multivitamins), I would think that if you do have anemia, it is more likely due to diet than anemia! Try asking for a blood test for anemia from your doctor, and if you are indeed anemic, you can look into taking iron supplements as well, or try to include iron-rich foods in your diet.

What is Malaria?

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QUESTION

what is malaria?

ANSWER

Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken on an infected person. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood is taken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites. About 1 week later, when the mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquito’s saliva and are injected into the person being bitten.

Because the malaria parasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person, malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria may also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery (“congenital” malaria).

Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Symptoms usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs. Infection with one type of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, if not promptly treated, may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines.

Malaria and the Brain

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QUESTION

How long does it take malaria to reach your brain?

ANSWER

The process by which malaria affects the brain is complicated, and the amount of time also varies. First of all, only one species of malaria parasite is associated with the brain – this is Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria. It is dangerous because when it infects red blood cells, it makes them “sticky,” so that they become lodged in the small blood vessels in the body’s organs. This process is called sequestration, and results in reduced blood flow to the organs, which can result in further complications.

When infected red blood cells sequester in the brain, the result is so-called “cerebral malaria,” which can lead to impaired consciousness, coma and even death. P. falciparum reproduces rapidly, so if not treated promptly, cerebral manifestations of the infection could appear within a matter of a few days of the initial onset of malaria symptoms. The good news is that treatment is very safe and effective, especially when started early, so when malaria is suspected as the possible cause of an illness, a blood test should be performed immediately to test for malaria, and also to determine if the species is P. falciparum.

If you have taken medications for malaria, please help Malaria.com by taking our Malaria Medication Side-effects Survey: Treatment and Prophylaxis. Thank you!

Malaria Symptoms

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QUESTION

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

ANSWER

Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Symptoms usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs. Infection with one type of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, if not promptly treated, may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines.

Malaria Relapse Again and Again

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QUESTION

Hi, I have malaria, after every 2 to 3 months.  I had malaria positive when I was pregnant at 3 mnths I was hospitalized, it was P.vivax, it aggravated my pregnancy symptoms even, I had blood transfusion as Hb was 7, then aftr completion of 10 tab chloroquin course on discharge doctr advice me to take 2 tab chloroquin once a week for my whole pregnancy, I stopd taking drug at my 7 mnth as I got fed up of treatment, n hyperemesis whenevr I took chloroquin, then I had malaria in last days of my pregnancy again, it was vivax again then I had premature delivery with antepartum hemorage following c.section, after one month I had p.vivax malaria again, I am breast feeding mother, doctor again after completion of 10 tabs chloroquin advice 2 tabs chloroquin a week til I breast feed, I am fed up of taking chloroquin, its effects and malaria again and again, pls help me to ERADICATE from my blood, can I take Primaquine to help myself even I am breast feeding? And is it sure primaquine stop relapsing malaria?
I dont know why but I also had chest pain these days, I have enlarged spleen tip, Hb. 9, trophozites again in blood.
how to completely get rid of it? pls help me!

ANSWER

Thanks for your question – it sounds like you have had a very grueling time getting through these malaria episodes! I have forwarded your question to the medical experts who advise us here on malaria.com, but in the meantime I will try to at least partially answer your question.

As far as I am aware, there is not a lot of safety testing of primaquine in breast-feeding mothers. The main concern is with hemolysis, if either the mother or baby is G6PD deficient. However, I have heard of breast-feeding mothers being given primaquine in some cases, if the G6PD status of her and her baby has been determined to be normal. Primaquine, when taken for the full dosage period, is very effective at killing hypnozoites, which are the latent form of malaria that cause relapses. If you are interested in taking primaquine, you should talk to your doctor about the risks associated with taking the drug, and certainly have yourself and your infant tested for G6PD deficiency before starting treatment.

If you have taken medications for malaria, please help Malaria.com by taking our Malaria Medication Side-effects Survey: Treatment and Prophylaxis. Thank you!

Deadliest Malaria Parasite

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QUESTION

which malarial parasite is deadliest for humans, and why?

ANSWER

By far the most deadly malaria parasite is Plasmodium falciparum, as it is responsible for >95% of all malaria deaths every year. Most of these fatalities occur in young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

The causes for why P. falciparum is so deadly are still not fully understood. This parasite has the ability to cause infected red blood cells to become “sticky”, and therefore clog up small blood vessels called capillaries inside the body’s organs. This process is known as “sequestration”. Sequestration reduces blood flow to major organs, resulting in a variety of secondary conditions, perhaps the most famous well-recognized of which is so-called “cerebral malaria”, where oxygen flow to the brain is reduced and as a result of this and other effects of sequestration, impaired consciousness, coma and even death can occur.