WANTED: Malaria
McKenna Lines
What is Malaria?
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called a Plasmodium. This disease begins with a simple bite from a infected female mosquito, the parasite is then introduced from it's saliva into the circulatory system, and finally into the liver and the protists matures and reproduces. This disease also infects the red blood cells.
How does this disease spread?
Malaria is spread by a bite of the infected female mosquito. Malaria can also be spread by a transfusion of blood from infected people. Malaria can also be spread by using infected needles or syringes.
What are the most common victims to prey upon?
A person who is exposed to a country where Malaria is present has a chance of getting this disease. Malaria is present in tropical or subtropical areas of Asia, Africa and Central and South America.
Where is Malaria most likely to be found?
Malaria is present in tropical or subtropical areas of Asia, Africa, Central and South America.
Malaria
Mosquito net surrounding a child
Malaria
Malaria infecting a red blood cell
Malaria
A mosquito with Malaria
What is the lasting affect of Malaria?
Symptoms of Malaria include high fever, chills, sweats, and headache, and in some instances may progress to jaundice, anemia, blood coagulation defects, shock, kidney or liver failure, central nervous system disorders, coma and death. If Malaria is not treated within a certain amount of time after the bite it can be life threatening.
How would you rate your disease from not dangerous to dangerous?
I would rate Malaria a 7, highly dangerous because for places that Malaria is present the countries don't have like a high development in technology. And you wouldn't be able to stop the disease before the symptoms appeared because the lack of technology. Countries where Malaria is present have to deal with Malaria after the symptoms occur and that could be to late.
What is the treatment for Malaria?
Treatments are determined by the local or states health department. Also depending on what type of Malaria you have depends on whether they will treat you or not, the severity of your symptoms, your age, and whether your you are with child.
Medications
The most common antimalarial drugs include:
- Chloroquine (Aralen)
- Quinine sulfate (Qualaquin)
- Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)
- Mefloquine
- Combination of atovaquone and proguanil (Malarone)
5 Fun Facts
- More than 216 million people had Malaria in 2010
- Over 655,000 people died from Malaria in 2010
- Malaria is the 5th leading cause of death by infectious diseases
- Malaria is the 2nd leading cause of death in Africa
- Sleeping with a mosquito net reduces the risk of getting Malaria by 20 percent
Biboliography
http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/
http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/malaria/fact_sheet.htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/malaria.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/malaria/DS00475/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
http://www.dosomething.org/blog/world-mosquito-day-5-facts-about-malaria
http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/malaria/fact_sheet.htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/malaria.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/malaria/DS00475/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
http://www.dosomething.org/blog/world-mosquito-day-5-facts-about-malaria