5 minute read
What's the buzz?
WHAT'S THE BUZZ ABOUT MALARIA?
Although the world's attention is currently focused on COVID-19, other viruses that recently emerged, such as Zika and chikungunya, are continuing to circulate and cause problems.
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WHAT IS MALARIA?
Spread by mosquitos, malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases and a global public health challenge.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. The parasite that causes malaria is a microscopic, single-celled organism called Plasmodium.
Malaria is predominantly found in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa, South America and Asia.
If not detected and treated promptly, malaria can be fatal. However, with the right treatment, started early enough, it can be cured. Around 95% of deaths are in children under the age of five living in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, death rates have fallen globally by 47% since 2000 (WHO).
There are more than 100 kinds of Plasmodium that can infect many animal species such as reptiles, birds and mammals. There are six different species of malaria parasite that cause malaria in humans. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most common types of malaria parasite that infect humans. Plasmodium falciparum causes the most serious, life-threatening infections in humans.
KEY FACTS
• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. • In 2018, there were an estimated 228 million cases of malaria worldwide. • The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 405 000 in 2018. • Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria; in 2018, they accounted for 67% (272 000) of all malaria deaths worldwide.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA?
Usually the incubation time for malaria is seven to 18 days. With some species of malaria, such as Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale, the parasite can lie dormant in the liver. It can therefore take up to a year for symptoms to develop. Once inside the body, the malaria parasites grow and multiply inside the red blood cells. When the red blood cells burst releasing merozoites (usually every 48–72 hours), it results in an attack of flu-like symptoms such as fever, sweating, shivering and shaking, muscle aches, nausea and headache. These attacks last 6–10 hours. >>
The type and severity of symptoms depends on which type of malaria parasite someone is infected with. For example, the most serious type of malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
These questions will help you start a conversation with your doctor about how to best manage malaria.
About Symptoms
• How long after returning home from travel could
I develop malaria? • What are the symptoms of malaria? • What should I do, both while travelling and at home, if I have symptoms that I think are from malaria?
About Causes and Risk Factors
• Is there a chance of contracting malaria in the area to which I’m travelling? • What kind of insect repellent can I use on clothing or on bed nets to repel mosquitos? • What medication(s) should I use to prevent malaria while travelling? • How long do I need to take the antimalarial medication(s) before leaving and after returning home? • Are there any potential side effects to the medication(s) and how can I manage them? • What should I do if I am bitten by a mosquito during travel to an area where there is malaria? • How should malaria prevention be managed during pregnancy?
About Diagnosis
• How is malaria diagnosed? • Does treatment depend on which type of parasite is involved, or if there are multiple types?
About Treatment
• What is the treatment for malaria? • Are there potential side effects from malaria treatments? • Does treatment eradicate the malaria parasites? • Can malaria recur even after treatment? WHAT IS MALARIA?
DOES A GIN AND TONIC A DAY KEEP MALARIA AWAY?
Travelers often joke about drinking gin and tonic to prevent malaria, but is there any truth to it?
Malaria is a serious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. If it isn’t diagnosed and treated promptly, it can be fatal. Quinine has long been used as an antimalarial drug, although how it works is not entirely clear. It is a compound originally found in the bark of the cinchona tree, native to South America, which was used to treat malaria from as early as the 1600s. It was also discovered that the bark could prevent the disease.
By the early 19th century, chemists had isolated quinine from the bark, and this formed an essential ingredient in tonic water, giving it its bitter taste. Quinine remained the mainstay of malaria treatment until the 1920s, when more effective, synthetic antimalarial drugs became available. The genius idea to add gin to tonic water originated in India during the 19th century, when British officers began mixing gin with their daily ration of quinine tonic, and eventually lemon and lime, creating the iconic drink. Winston Churchill once stated: “The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.”
Nowadays the quinine content of tonic water is minimal, and more effective antimalarial drugs have been developed. The therapeutic dose of quinine to treat malaria is about 500mg every 8 hours for up to 10 days. This would mean drinking up to 20 G&Ts every eight hours. There are definitely easier ways to prevent malaria. It’s best to stick to tried and tested strategies including antimalarial drugs, applying mosquito repellent, using a bed net or avoiding outbreak areas altogether.
Source: www.sarooibos.co.za
DID YOU KNOW?
Most malaria-spreading mosquitos prefer to feed at night. And some even prefer
feeding indoors rather than outdoors. HOW TO PREVENT MALARIA?
Mosquito carries parasite
Parasites are transmitted to people through the bites
Malaria parasites grow and multiply inside red blood cells An attack of flu-like symptoms Bed nets Antimalarial drugs Mosquito repellent
Avoid outbreak areas
