by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Is urticaria a symptom of malaria?
ANSWER
Yes, urticaria, also known as hives, is associated with malaria infection. It is more commonly known from infection with Plasmodium falciparum but has also been reported as accompanying P. vivax infection.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
I was in Lagos, Nigeria and i was bitten. I had stomach ache and diarrhea for a day then back to normal. Just for precaution I checked my blood and the doc said that I have a mild malaria in my blood and he gave me a medicine. If i have malaria can I affect or transmit the malaria to other people like my friends or my wife by the saliva or by any means?
ANSWER
No, you cannot directly transmit malaria to other people. It can only be transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito; as such, while you are recovering from malaria, you should take care not to be bitten by any mosquitoes, because if these mosquitoes then went on to bite someone else, they might get infected with malaria.
Since malaria infects the blood, if large amounts of blood are transferred between people, for example during a blood transfusion, organ transplant or during childbirth, then malaria can sometimes also be transmitted. But under normal circumstances, you can not directly transfer malaria to another person.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
If one takes the first dose of Coartem and tests indicate presence of malaria parasites,is it advisable to take a second round of coartem, or to start on quinine? Is quinine usually administered on its own or in conjunction with another drug? At what point is malaria considered complicated?
ANSWER
Usually, if a first round of treatment is unsuccessful, a doctor will prescribe a different type of oral medication for another attempt, such as atovaquone-proguanil or doxycycline in combination with another anti-malarial.
Quinine, when administered orally, can be given alone but is more commonly given with another anti-malarial compound such as doxycycline, tetracycline or clindamycin.
In cases of complicated malaria, it is administered intravenously. There are a number of symptoms which, in combination with a history of high fever, define complicated/severe malaria, among which are:
In addition, intravenous quinine may be given to patients who are unable to take oral medication for whatever reason.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
I was bitten by mosquitoes many years ago and I was wondering can the symptoms lie dormant for as long as 40 years? The reason I am asking is that every summer I am ill with several of these symptoms. I do not have a good immune system.
ANSWER
There are a couple of types of malaria, namely Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale, which can lie dormant for many years, and often cause relapses at regular intervals.
Next time you suffer from these symptoms, you should go to your doctor and have a blood test to check for malaria; while you are experiencing symptoms, if you have malaria, the parasites will be visible in your blood.
Once positively diagnosed, your doctor can provide you with treatment. If you do have malaria, you will need one medication to clear the infection from your blood (which kind depends on where you were when you got those mosquito bites; malaria has become resistant to certain types of medication in some areas), plus another type of medication to kill the dormant forms which are responsible for the yearly relapses. This latter medication is called primaquine, and is not recommended for people with G6DP deficiency, so you should be tested for this prior to taking the medication.
Having said all of that, it is very important to get the blood test if you suspect you have malaria, because the symptoms of malaria are very general (fever, chills, nausea, aches) and can be mistaken for many other illnesses. If your blood test is negative for malaria, then you should talk to your doctor about other possible infections.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Can malaria make you lose weight? Can malaria cause itching in the body.
ANSWER
Since malaria is often associated with extreme nausea and high fever, this can often cause people to lose their appetite and not eat properly while they are experiencing infection, leading to weight loss.
However malaria is usually quite an acute infection, lasting a few days to at most a few weeks (there are exceptions, whereby patients have been observed to be chronically infected for much longer periods of time, though they rarely experience frequent symptoms during these longer periods and as such would not be expected to lose weight), and so the period of time in which weight loss would occur is very short. Itching is not a symptoms commonly associated with malaria, though muscle aches and pains are common.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
What massage therapy has helped with malaria and what effects did it have on the patient?
ANSWER
As far as I am aware, massage therapy has never been shown to have any positive effects on malaria infection. If a patient has malaria, they must receive medical treatment, either in the form of oral tablets or if the disease has already progressed to a severe state, intravenous drugs.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Which parasite transmits malaria?
ANSWER
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito. The parasite passes into the blood of the human patient when the mosquito bites, via its saliva. There are five species of Plasmodium which normally infect humans: P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. vivax and P. knowlesi.
by Malaria Q&A
What are the key statistics for global malaria over the past decade?
ANSWER
The World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report summarizes global malaria burden, including trends in mortality rates and economic impact. Here are selected figures from the 2011 report.
Estimated malaria cases, 2010
Estimated deaths from malaria, 2010
Figures on malaria deaths
Population at risk
Number of countries affected by malaria
Six countries account for 60%, or 390,000, of malaria deaths
Malaria mortality rates have fallen since 2000
Required health expenditure (Abuja declaration)
Economic cost
Costs of interventions
Check out Roll Back Malaria for more information.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Can someone please tell me what kind of malaria this is. What part of the body it attacks, e.g., cerebral? Patient presenting with liver and kidney “problems”. What could these be?
ANSWER
I am not sure I fully understand your question, but the type of malaria which is associated with cerebral malaria, and also tends to have the most adverse effects on other organs (such as the kidneys) is Plasmodium falciparum. However, all species of malaria go through the liver as part of their life cycle, so all may invoke some kidney problems. The four other types of malaria which infect humans are P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P.knowlesi.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Is Malaria an issue in Myanmar where I am going in June?
ANSWER from Malaria.com Editor
YES. Malaria is a risk in all rural areas of the country below 1,000 meters of altitude (anything below 3300 feet). Rangoon/Yangon and Mandalay do not have malaria.
You should take medication to prevent malaria (prophylaxis) throughout your stay, and also protect yourself from getting bitten by mosquitoes if you are travelling to risk areas for malaria. Personal protection measures including sleeping under an insecticide treated bednet, wearing insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothing, especially in the evenings, early morning and throughout the night, which is when the mosquitoes that transmit malaria are active and feeding.
Myanmar/Burma is known to have strains of malaria which are resistant to certain medications; specifically, chloroquine resistance is widespread, while some areas in addition have malaria which is resistant to mefloquine (sold as Lariam). As such, the CDC recommends atovaquone-proguanil (sold as Malarone) or doxycycline if you will be travelling in the provinces of Bago, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Shan, and Tanintharyi. In all other areas of the country, mefloquine should also be considered as an option.
Answer from Malaria.com medical advisor
For anyone planning a trip abroad its important to know the health risks in your destination. Malaria is an especially important concern for anyone traveling to tropical or subtropical regions. Here’s what I found on the CDC Travelers’ Health website. I find this is the best place to look for this information.
See the malaria information for Burma to find out which antimalarial drug is appropriate for the area you plan to visit in Burma.