Headache and Chills with Malaria

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QUESTION

Could a person be infected by malaria without symptoms of headache and chills?

ANSWER

Malaria symptoms vary considerably, depending on the type of malaria, the severity of the infection and the patient’s natural immunity. It is certainly possible for a patient to have malaria without experiencing headache and chills; some people infected with certain forms of malaria, such as Plasmodium malariae, may not even experience severe fever and barely realise they are infected. However, most cases of malaria, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are caused by Plasmodium falciparum, which is a faster-acting, more severe form of malaria and usually results in fever and chills, often accompanied by headache and nausea.

Post-infection Malaria Medication

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QUESTION

My daughter has recently returned from a trip to Borneo. Even with aggressive preventive anti-mosquito behaviour (long sleeves/pants, deet applications and mosquito netting) but not anti-malarial medication, she received over 30 bites. She is now exhibiting some symptoms (body aches, headache and severe fatigue). She has an appointment at the doctors in 2 days time. Is there some kind of post-trip medication (like doxycycline) she can take as a precaution even if the malarial test comes back negative at this early of a time. Thanks.

ANSWER

The important thing to note here is that if your daughter has symptoms of malaria, then she should be diagnosed and, if positive, treated with medication aimed at curing active malaria. Doxycycline is NOT a drug used for the treatment of malaria, so there is no point taking it if she is already exhibiting symptoms.

Furthermore, some types of malaria found in Borneo (notably P. falciparum and P. knowlesi) can become more severe very quickly – 2 days may be too long to wait. If you live in an area where malaria transmission occurs, you may be able to buy a self-testing kit (also known as a rapid diagnostic test, or RDT) for malaria in a local pharmacy. Otherwise, if your daughter’s symptoms get worse, you should take her to an emergency room and explain her travel history and subsequent risk of having malaria.

There is no substitute for taking prophylactic malaria medicine; it might be that if your daughter had started taking prophylactic medicine as soon as she started receiving multiple mosquito bites, then she may have been protected to some degree. However, malaria has a latent period, and so she would have had to continue taking the medication for a period of time after returning home as well – with doxycycline, this means taking the drug for a further four weeks.

Malaria from Dominican Republic?

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QUESTION

Hi i just came back from the Dominican Republic. I started to have a mild fever, chills, muscle pains, a headache, and a cough. Today the fever and chills are gone but my cough and headache have gotten worse. It hurts my head a lot when I cough, I feel a lot of pressure in my head. Can you please tell me why my head hurts so much.  Is this a symptom of malaria? hope to hear from you guys soon thanks!

ANSWER

Headaches can be caused by many things – they are usually classified as primary (tension headaches, migraines or cluster headaches), secondary (as a side effect to some other illness or syndrome, which can very commonly be an infection or response to an allergen) and neuralgia and “other” headaches (neuralgia is inflamed nerves). Malaria, as a serious infection, can cause secondary headaches, while other symptoms include fever (usually in cycles of 2 or 3 days), chills, nausea and aches. However, these symptoms are also consistent with a wide range of other illnesses, including influenza and other common diseases. Malaria symptoms will only appear at least one week after being bitten – if you have started feeling symptoms sooner than this, then you probably don’t have malaria.

Malaria is present in the Dominican Republic, with highest transmission risk in the western part of the country, near the Haitian border. The cities of Santiago and Santo Domingo are considered very low risk for malaria. It is actually recommended that all travellers to the DR take anti-malarial medication (called prophylaxis), to protect against malaria infection. If you were taking prophylaxis, then the risk of getting malaria is very low. However, if you were visiting areas outside of these cities, were not taking anti-malaria medication and it has been at least a week since you were bitten by mosquitoes while there, it may be worth going to your doctor or a hospital to have a malaria test. If you are diagnosed with the disease, then your doctor can quickly prescribe you effective treatment, which should clear up the infection in a matter of days. The type of malaria in the Dominican Republic (Plasmodium falciparum) can be dangerous if left untreated, though in this area, it responds readily to several different drugs, including chloroquine, so treatment will be uncomplicated.

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

Fever and Body Aches with Malaria

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QUESTION

Is bad throat and fever with with body ache the symptom of malaria?

ANSWER

While fever and body aches are certainly some of the symptoms associated with malaria, a sore throat is well common, but could be the result of enlarged lymph nodes. It is important to note that these symptoms are also present with many other diseases; in fact, the symptoms of malaria are so general that sometimes it is difficult to diagnose, and a blood test should be performed to confirm that a patient is indeed suffering from malaria before treatment is given.

Joint Pain and Malaria

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QUESTION

Could an onset of joint pain and swelling plus hurting all over be a residual for someone who has had malaria?

ANSWER

Once someone has been treated for malaria, they should not experience any further residual effects, particularly if the infection was uncomplicated and treated using oral medication. Joint pain, swelling and pain could well be indications of another infection, and so medical advice should be sought immediately.

Spleen Enlargement with Malaria

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QUESTION

Will malaria present without splenic enlargement?

ANSWER

Splenomegaly is commonly one of the early and consistent signs of malaria, with the spleen being palpable sometimes as early as the first paroxysm but usually becoming noticeable after the first week of illness. However, absence of splenic enlargement does not eliminate malaria as the cause of illness, and a blood test should be used to confirm diagnosis.

Why is Malaria Dangerous?

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QUESTION

How does Malaria become so dangerous?

ANSWER

Malaria in humans can be caused by a number of different parasites – the most dangerous, and the one which is responsible for over 90% of the worldwide deaths from malaria, is Plasmodium falciparum.

The reason that P. falciparum is so dangerous is because it affects the behaviour of red blood cells. Red blood cells that are infected with P. falciparum become “sticky”, and as they pass through the the small blood vessels inside the body’s organs, they become stuck – this process is known as “sequestration”. As the number of red blood cells stuck inside the small blood vessels increases, blood flow to the organ is reduced, which can result in further complications. When sequestration occurs inside the blood vessels in the brain, the result is what is clinically recognised as cerebral malaria – complications can include impaired consciousness, coma and even death.

If diagnosed and treated promptly, most cases of P. falciparum can be resolved quickly and without complications, using oral medication. However, the parasite can reproduce very quickly, meaning that cases can become more serious within days and even hours. As such, if P. falciparum infection is suspected, and particularly in high-risk individuals such as young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals, diagnosis should be sought immediately so that appropriate treatment can be delivered.

Treating Headache Pain

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QUESTION

Is it ok to treat with NSAIDs or aspirin, or is paracetamol preferred?

ANSWER

If the question relates to headaches caused by malaria, then yes, most over the counter analgesics (pain relievers) can be used to treat the headaches and joint pain associated with malaria. Paracetamol may also assist in reducing fever.

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!