Rash and Malaria

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QUESTION

Is random rash-like swelling on parts of your body coupled with back pains and joint aches and cold sweats all malaria symptom? If so, what is the parasite type and the cure?

ANSWER

Rashes are not usually associated with malaria infection; the symptoms you describe are however consistent with several other infections, some of which can be quite serious, such as dengue fever. You should go to your doctor or a hospital to have a blood test which can assist in diagnosing you.

For future reference, if you did have malaria, you would still probably need to have a blood test to determine which species of malaria you had, and therefore what kind of treatment would be appropriate.

Mosquito Types

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QUESTION

How many types of mosquito are there?

ANSWER

There are over 3,500 species of mosquito! However, most of these do not transmit any diseases to humans. Mosquitoes are usually divided into two sub-families, the Anophelinae and the Culicinae. The latter group consists of about 40 genera, including Culex and Aedes, which contain some species that transmit diseases to humans (such as yellow fever, dengue fever and West Nile). The former contains the genus Anopheles, which are the mosquitoes that transmit malaria. There are about 460 described species of Anopheles mosquito, of which about 100 can transmit malaria, though the vast bulk of transmission is usually limited to about 30 species.

Malaria After Doxycycline?

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QUESTION

I recently spent a month in Asia. I took doxycycline tablets for malaria. I took them for the month I was away and when I returned. I took the full course and had been fine. Within two days of completing the course I became ill. This has be going on for about a month now with severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, very tired all the time and feeling like I’m going to faint. I have been to the doctor five times, they think this is a virus, I have been tested for malaria and dengue fever. I am only just now starting to feel better. What could this be?

ANSWER

Since you are beginning to feel better, I would go with your doctors’ diagnosis of a viral infection of some kind. It is also possible that you were infected with intestinal amoebas or even worms. A more accurate diagnosis would require faecal sample and possibly blood tests. You did the right thing by getting tested for malaria and making sure you didn’t have dengue.

Malaria with Eye Pain

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QUESTION

I am having malaria with severe eye pains. What is this?

ANSWER

Have you actually been diagnosed with malaria, or do you just think you have malaria based on the symptoms? If the latter, I would suggest you visit the doctor immediately. Eye pain is not usually associated with malaria (beyond the fact that some headaches manifest behind the eyes), whereas eye pain is a common symptom of dengue fever, which is common in many of the same parts of the world as malaria.

The other symptoms of dengue include fever and nausea and are thus similar to the general symptoms of malaria, allowing them to be mistaken for each other in some cases. If the pain worsens with eye movement, this is also characteristic of dengue fever. A key symptom is the presence of a rash, similar to that of measles.

Diagnosis is usually made based on clinical presentation, so it is crucial you see a doctor or visit a clinic. Other tests, such as a tourniquet test or a white blood cell count, can also assist diagnosis. If necessary, there are also laboratory tests, such as cell culture or PCR, which can be used to confirm the infection.

Dengue Fever

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QUESTION:

Hello, I work with an NGO . We work in the rural areas. Please give me idea about dengue. Thnx

ANSWER:

Hi there, I’m afraid that I can’t really help you without knowing where you are located! Also, this forum is generally dedicated to questions about malaria, and so maybe I could recommend you look at the World Health Organisation pages regarding dengue fever for more information.

Certainly there are some very interesting data regarding the possible relationship between chloroquine resistance in malaria (and thus the reduction in prescribing it for malaria treatment) and the increase in incidence of dengue in many areas, but that’s a whole different story!

Scientists Target Mosquito-Borne Illness

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Of all the disease-spreading insects in the world, the mosquito poses the greatest menace, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  As if to underscore that threat, two mosquito-borne viral diseases have begun to spread well beyond their points of origin.  One is dengue fever, a potentially deadly illness, and the other is chikungunya, a debilitating and painful disease from which most people can recover. There are no vaccines to prevent these diseases.  But researchers are working hard to develop vaccines against dengue fever and chikungunya, and to control the mosquitoes that spread them.

Scientists have identified at least 3,000 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world. The Asian tiger mosquito is one that bites during the day.

The tiger mosquito’s bite is more than annoying. It’s responsible for infecting 20 million people a year with dengue fever, a flu-like illness that can result in hemorrhagic fever, shock syndrome, and even death.

“It’s almost completely spread throughout the tropics and subtropics throughout the world,” said Weaver.

Scott Weaver at the University of Texas Medical Branch confirms what other scientists are seeing, mosquitoes that can transmit dengue fever have spread though India, Southeast Asia and Latin America and are finding their way around the world. There were more than 12 confirmed cases this year in Florida, in the southeastern United States.

The tiger mosquito can also spread chikungunya, a debilitating disease that causes extreme joint pain and fever. The illness is spread as well by an African mosquito, which is also expanding its range.  Professor Laura Harrington is an insect specialist at Cornell University. She says it’s not just the mosquitoes’ range that’s changing:

“We’re also seeing changes, particularly with the viruses; we’re seeing changes in their genetic material which often can lead to increased virulence,” Harrington noted.

On top of that, mosquitoes can arrive in new destinations aboard planes and in cars.

“It’s a virus that has the ability to travel on airplanes and in infected people very readily,” Weaver added.

Weaver is working on a vaccine for chikungunya that has successfully protected lab mice from getting the virus. At Cornell, Harrington is working to make the male mosquito infertile.

“The idea is that these modified males that don’t take a blood meal could be released, mate with the wild females, the females wouldn’t reproduce, they wouldn’t take a blood meal, and the population would be eliminated or reduced,” Harrington explained.

Both scientists are concerned that if a way to control the spread of chikungunya and dengue fever is not found soon, both diseases will become established in the United States. Harrington says that techniques that prove successful against these illnesses might also be used to break the cycle of other mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria.

Source: VOA

Having Malaria after being tested negative

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QUESTION:

In April 2010 I was in India, had symptoms of malaria, had blood work done, platelets low but rapid antigen and smear were negative. One year later, May 2011, had low platelet count, chills, no fever or fever spikes. Could this be malaria again even though I was tested negative.

ANSWER:

This response is courtesy of Dr Jaya Swarup Mohanty, a physician in India:

Malaria doesn’t affect the platelet count or the white blood cell count. The Plasmodium species causing malaria are either lodged in the hepatocytes (liver cells) or the RBCs (red blood cells) where they undergo asexual multiplication.
Any change in platelet count would rather indicate dengue (another mosquito borne disease with fever, chills, prostration, bone pain, low platelet count) or some blood disorders (where there would only be decrease or increase in platelet count). In this case there is only low platelet count and chills with no fever or fever spikes which may indicate some disorder in blood or immune system or as a reaction to some medication. It would be advisable to consult a physician as soon as possible for further work up.