Long and Short Term Effects of Malaria

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QUESTION

What are the long term and short term effects of malaria in brief please?

ANSWER

The symptoms of malaria as an acute infection vary somewhat depending on the type of malaria, but usual signs include high fever (often in a cyclical pattern, with fever one day, then no fever for one or two days, then a recurrence of fever), chills, body aches and nausea.

For Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria, the infection can progress rapidly if left untreated, with organ failure, impaired consciousness, coma and even death occurring as quickly as a few days after the onset of symptoms.

If the patient is able to survive the infection, or gets treatment in time, there are usually no long term affects of malaria infection. Some people who have suffered severe cerebral malaria (from P. falciparum) may experience some longer term neurological effects. Other types of malaria, such as P. ovale and P. vivax, can form dormant life stages which hide in the liver for weeks, months or even years, leading to relapse at a later date. However, apart from these recurrences, there are also no long term effects of infection with these types of malaria.

Symtoms of Malaria

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QUESTION

Please tell me the symptoms of malaria.

ANSWER

Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Due to the way in which the malaria parasite reproduces in the human body, fevers occurring in a cyclical fashion (i.e. high fever one day, no fever the next day, then recurrence of fever on the third or fourth day, depending on the type of malaria) are a characteristic symptom of malaria, but may not be present in all cases. 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. When blood supply to the brain is disrupted during malarial infection, the resulting condition, characterised by seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death, is known as “cerebral malaria”, and is associated with Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria.

Please check your article: Symptoms and Causes of Malaria

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.