Malaria
Local News Update
Do You Have Malaria?
How to Determine Treatment
Treating a patient with malaria depends on
- The type (species) of the infecting parasite
- The area where the infection was acquired and its drug-resistance status
- The clinical status of the patient
- Any accompanying illness or condition
- Pregnancy
- Drug allergies, or other medications taken by the patient
Treatment
Most drugs used in treatment are active against the parasite forms in the blood (the form that causes disease) and include:
- Chloroquine
- Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone®)
- Artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem®)
- Mefloquine (Lariam®)
- Quinine
- Quinidine
- Doxycycline (used in combination with quinine)
- Clindamycin (used in combination with quinine)
- Artesunate (not licensed for use in the United States, but available through the CDC malaria hotline)
How to Determine If You Have Malaria!!
Clinical Diagnosis is based on the patient's symptoms and on physical findings at examination.
The first symptoms of malaria (most often fever, chills, sweats, headaches, muscle pains, nausea and vomiting) are often not specific and are also found in other diseases (such as the "flu" and common viral infections). Likewise, the physical findings are often not specific (elevated temperature, perspiration, tiredness).
In severe malaria (caused by Plasmodium falciparum), clinical findings (confusion, coma, neurologic focal signs, severe anemia, respiratory difficulties) are more striking and may increase the index of suspicion for malaria.
If possible, clinical findings should always be confirmed by a laboratory test for malaria.
Symptoms
- Dry (nonproductive) cough.
- Muscle or back pains or both.
- Enlarged spleen.
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Headache.
- Sweats.
- Fatigue.
- Nausea and Vomiting.
How to avoid Malaria
Bite prevention – avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs and using a mosquito net. Check whether you need to take malaria prevention tablets – if you do, make sure you take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose, and finish the course.
Just a Little history!!!
Some Photos and Maps.
Resources
-- "PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative." PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
--"Malaria Diagnosis (United States)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
--"10 Facts on Malaria." WHO. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
--"Google." Google. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
--"Malaria - Prevention ." Malaria. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
--"10 Facts on Malaria." World Health Organization. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.