Recurrence of Malaria Symptoms

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QUESTION

If a person suffering from malaria is given the proper treatment and he gets well but he again develops the symptoms of malaria..? These symptoms would arise from liver or blood? Who’ll be responsible for the recurrence of the symptoms?

ANSWER

Malaria can come back in three ways: first of all, the person could have been successfully treated, but then re-infected again by being bitten by an infected mosquito. In these cases, the person should focus on improved malaria prevention, such as sleeping under a long-lasting insecticide treated bednet.

Secondly, the patient could have recrudescence: when the patient takes medication, the treatment kills most of the malaria parasites in the blood, and enough so the patient feels better again, but some parasites still remain. Then, after the treatment finished, the parasite is able to replicate again, they increase in number in the blood and the patient feels ill again. In this case, you would say the infection came back from the blood, and the patient should take another dose of anti-malarials, but of a different kind to that which they originally had, in order to kill all of the parasites.

Finally, there is what is called relapse, which only occurs with two types of malaria: Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale. These are able to form dormant stages in the liver, so even when all the parasites are killed in the blood by the malarial treatment, these dormant forms survive. Many weeks, months or even years later, these dormant liver stages can re-activate and enter the blood again, causing new malaria symptoms. In this case, the liver was the source of the parasites. Again, the active blood infection should be treated with anti-malarials, but the patient should also talk to their doctor about taking primaquine, a drug which can kill any remaining dormant liver forms and thus prevent future relapses.

Mosquitoes Transmission via Feces

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QUESTION

Can a mosquito give you malaria after having being on an infected person’s feces?

ANSWER

No. Malaria can only be transmitted via blood. As such, transmission via mosquitoes occurs when a mosquito feeds on the blood of an infected person, then bites someone who is not infected, and transfers the malaria parasite in the bite (this cannot happen straight away – the malaria parasite has to undergo some changes in the mosquito first).

Ingestion of Malaria Blood

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QUESTION

If someone were to eat/ingest the blood of an infected individual would they become infected with malaria? If an infected person’s blood was on their hands and they handled food, would eating the food put others at risk for malaria?

ANSWER

No, you would not get infected with malaria, as the malaria parasites must be transmitted into a person’s blood directly in order for them to be infected. As such, most transmission only occurs via mosquitoes: when a mosquito bites a person infected with malaria, it may pick up some of the malaria parasites while it feeds on the person’s blood. When it then goes to bite another person, after the parasite has replicated and changed inside the mosquito, it can pass the malaria on to the next person, again when it bites them and drinks the person’s blood.

Additionally, in some cases malaria can be transmitted by blood transfusion or organ donation, or from a mother to her unborn baby via the placenta, or through blood passed in childbirth. If you ate/drank malaria-infected blood, the parasites would be broken down and destroyed by your stomach acid.

Malaria: Mode of Transmission

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QUESTION

What is the mode of transmission of Malaria?

ANSWER

Malaria is transmitted normally via the bite of an infected mosquito. These mosquitoes, always female and of the genus Anopheles, carry malaria parasites in their salivary glands. The parasites, at this part of their life cycle known as sporozoites, are introduced into the host’s blood when the mosquito takes a blood meal. From there, the sporozoites travel to the liver, reproduce (this process may take several weeks), then finally re-enter the blood stream. At this point, the patient will begin to experience symptoms. Eventually, the malaria parasites change again, into gametocytes, which are picked up by another mosquito, again when it bites the infected person. In this way, the life cycle of the malaria parasite continues.

Because malaria reproduces in the blood and in the liver, in some cases malaria can be transferred via organ transplant or blood transfusion. In addition, malaria parasites can cross the placenta, and so can be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child, either in the womb or during childbirth. This is known as congenital malaria.

Transmission of Malaria from Person to Person

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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.

How Long Does it Take for Malaria to Affect the Body?

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QUESTION

How long does malaria take to actually affect you?

ANSWER

When you are bitten by a mosquito that is infected with the parasites that cause malaria, some of the parasites enter your blood stream in the mosquito’s saliva. After that, it will take at least one week, and usually between two and four weeks, before you start to feel the symptoms of the disease. This is because the parasite first goes to the liver, where it infects liver cells and undergoes replication. These cells mature into a form called merozoites, which then re-enter the blood stream, and start to infect red blood cells. The stage in the liver is not symptomatic for the patient, and is known as the pre-patent stage; once the merozoites start infecting and killing red blood cells, the patient will begin to feel sick, and the infection is said to have become patent.

Malaria Infectious?

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QUESTION

Is malaria infectious?

ANSWER

Yes, malaria is considered an infectious disease, though it is very rarely transmitted directly between people, and virtually all of the time must be transmitted via the bite of a mosquito (of the genus Anopheles).

Because part of the life cycle of malaria occurs in red blood cells in the human host, if sufficient amounts of blood are shared between people, for example during a blood transfusion, malaria can also pass between them this way, though screening measures reduce the likelihood of this occurring. Similarly, an earlier part of the life cycle occurs in the liver, so transplant of this organ can also result in transmission.

Finally, malaria is able to pass through the placenta, and so can be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child in this way, or also via blood during childbirth. When a baby contracts malaria from each mother, either via the placenta or during childbirth, it is known as “congenital” malaria.

Other Causes of Malaria

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QUESTION

Apart from mosquitoe bites, is there any other thing that can cause malaria or if not from mosquitoes, is there any other way someone can get malaria?

ANSWER

Since the malaria parasites reside and reproduce in the blood, in some cases it is possible to transmit malaria from person to person through transfer of a large volume of blood, for example during a blood transfusion.

Some life stages of the parasite are also present in the liver, so cases of malaria transmission via organ donation (particularly of the liver) have also been noted. Finally, it is possible for a mother to transmit malaria to her unborn child via the placenta, or sometimes during childbirth, via the blood. The observation of malaria in newborn babies, who have not been bitten by mosquitoes, is known as congenital malaria. Despite the above possibilities, the vast majority of malaria transmission occurs via the bite of infected mosquitoes, so it is very important to protect yourself from these insects when in malarial areas.

Anopheles Mosquito

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QUESTION

What does Anopheles looks like?

ANSWER

Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles are responsible for all transmission of malaria in mammals, including to humans. They are night-feeding mosquitoes, usually biting between dusk and dawn, though they may also be active during the day in heavily shaded environments.

Like all mosquitoes, Anopheles are usually found either as freshwater larvae, which prefer stagnant, still water, or flying adults, of which only the females feed on blood (the males exclusively feed on nectar).  Anopheles larvae lie parallel to the surface of the water where they live (in contrast to Aedes and Culex larvae which hang at an angle), whereas the adults rest with their bodies at a 45 degree angle upwards (again in contrast to Aedes and Culex adults, which rest parallel to their resting surface).

Sexual Transmission of Malaria

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QUESTION

Can malaria be transmitted by having sex with an infected person?

ANSWER

No. Malaria cannot be transmitted sexually. It is only present in the blood and in certain organs such as the liver and spleen. As such, it is usually only transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito, though in rare cases, it can be transmitted directly via blood transfusion, organ transplant or via the placenta during pregnancy (called congenital malaria).