Malaria

Malaria is an acute illness that causes fever and is caused by parasites called Plasmodium. 

People get malaria from the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes that are infected with the disease. 

There are five different parasite species that can cause malaria in humans; however,

The most dangerous of these parasites are the Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species. 

The malaria parasite known as 

P. falciparum is the most lethal form of the disease and is seen most frequently in Africa.

P. vivax is the most common type of malaria parasite in areas of the world that are not located in sub-Saharan Africa.

The earliest signs of malaria, which include fever, headache, and chills, typically show 10–15 days after an infected mosquito bite. 

These symptoms may be moderate, making it difficult to identify malaria at first. 

Within twenty-four hours, patients with untreated P. falciparum malaria are at risk of developing severe symptoms and even passing away.

By the year 2020, almost half of the people living on earth were at danger of contracting malaria.

Infants, children under the age of five, pregnant women, and patients with 

HIV/AIDS are at a significantly higher risk of contracting malaria and developing severe disease.

The Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME)

The Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME) programme is an initiative that aims to support the elimination of malaria in six countries that are part of the Greater Mekong subregion (GMS).

These countries are Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province), the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and Thailand. 

Vietnam is also included in this programme.

MME was established in 2017 as a response to the Emergency Response to 

Artemisinin Resistance,

which was a high-level plan of attack launched in 2013 to contain the spread of drug-resistant parasites and provide life-saving interventions for all GMS populations at risk of malaria.

Types of Malaria

Plasmodium, which are single-celled parasites, can infect humans and cause illness in one of five different ways:

• Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)

• Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)

• Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)

• Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)

• The Plasmodium knowlesi species (or P. knowlesi)

Malaria caused by the falciparum parasite has the potential to be fatal. 

Patients who have falciparum malaria of a severe form are at risk of developing liver and renal failure, as well as convulsions and coma. 

In most cases, infections with P. vivax and P. ovale result in a less serious illness.

However, the parasites can remain dormant in the liver for many months, which can result in a recurrence of symptoms months or even years later. 

Although P. vivax and P. ovale infections can occasionally cause severe illness, in most cases, these infections result in a less serious illness.

Malaria’s underlying causes

Plasmodium, a single-celled parasite of the genus plasmodium, is the causative agent of malaria. The bites of infected mosquitoes are the most prevalent way that the parasite is passed to people.

Mosquito transmission cycle

• Uninfected mosquito: The only way for a mosquito to become infected with malaria is for it to feed on a person who already has the disease.

• Transmission of parasites: In the event that you are bitten by this mosquito again in the future, it may transmit malaria parasites to you.

• In the liver: Once the parasites have gained access to your body, they will make their way to your liver. Some varieties of parasites can remain latent in the liver for up to a year.

• Once the parasites have reached their adult stage, they will exit the liver and begin to infect the red blood cells throughout the body.

 In most cases, this is when patients start to experience the symptoms of malaria.

• Moving on to the next victim:

at this stage in the transmission cycle, if you are bitten by a mosquito that is not afflicted with malaria, 

the mosquito will get infected with your malaria parasites and will be able to pass them on to anyone else it bites.

Other techniques of information transfer

People can develop malaria through being exposed to infected blood for a number of reasons, 

including the fact that the parasites that cause malaria attack red blood cells. 

These reasons include the following:

• From the mother to the developing child

• By means of transfusions of blood

• Through the sharing of needles that are used for injecting drugs

Treatment

Certain medications are administered in conjunction with the use of other drugs. 

Your treatment strategy, including the medication you take and how long you have to take it, will be based on the type of parasite you have.

Antimalarial medications include:

• Artemisinin medicines (artemether and artesunate).

• Atovaquone (Mepron®).

• Chloroquine. 

• Doxycycline (brand names include Oracea®, Monodox®, and Doxy-100®).

• Mefloquine.

• Quinine.

• Primaquine.

Prevention

Taking medication can significantly lower a person’s risk of developing malaria.

In the event that you do become infected with malaria despite taking these medications, you will not be able to receive treatment with them.

You can also take preventative measures to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. You can reduce your risk of contracting malaria by doing the following:

• On any exposed skin, rub in some insect repellent that contains DEET (diethyltoluamide).

• Drape mosquito netting over mattresses.

• Install screens on the doorways and windows.

• Permethrin is an insect repellent that should be applied to clothing, 

mosquito nets, tents, sleeping bags, and any other fabric that might be exposed to insects.

• Put on some long pants and long sleeves to cover as much of your flesh as possible.

Conclusion

Malaria can affect everyone, but those who live in African countries have a significantly increased chance of contracting the disease.

Malaria poses a higher threat of death to persons of certain ages and stages of life, including younger children, older adults, and pregnant women.

Complications from the illness are more likely to occur in those who live in impoverished conditions and who lack access to medical care.

More than ninety percent of all deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa, and the vast majority of those who pass away are young children. 

In the year 2020, children younger than five years old accounted for more than 80 percent of fatalities caused by malaria in this region.