Causes of malariaMalaria

Causes of malariaMalaria

 is caused by the bites from the femaleAnophelesmosquito, which then infects the body with the parasitePlasmodium. This is the only mosquito that can cause malaria.The successful development of the parasite within the mosquito depends on several factors, the most important being humidity and ambient temperatures.When an infected mosquito bites a human host, the parasite enters the bloodstream and lays dormantwithin the liver. For the next 5-16 days, the host will show no symptoms but the malaria parasite will begin multiplying asexually.7The new malaria parasites are then released back into the bloodstream when they infect red blood cells and again begin to multiply. Some malaria parasites, however, remain in the liver and are not released until later, resulting in recurrence.An unaffected mosquito becomes infected once it feeds on an infected individual, thus beginningthe cycle again.The video below from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute visualizes how a single bite from an infected mosquito can quickly turn into the life-threatening disease.Symptoms of malariaAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), malaria symptoms can be classified in two categories: uncomplicated and severe malaria.Uncomplicated malaria is diagnosed when symptoms are present, but there are no clinical or laboratory signs to indicate a severe infection or the dysfunction of vital organs. Individuals suffering from this form, can eventually develop severe malaria if the disease is left untreated, or if they have poor or no immunity to the disease.Symptoms of uncomplicated malaria typically last 6-10 hours and occur in cycles that occur every second day, although some strains of the parasite can cause alonger cycle or mixed symptoms. Symptoms are often flu-like and may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in areas where malaria is less common. In areas where malaria is common, many patients recognize the symptoms as malaria and treat themselves without proper medical care.Uncomplicated malaria typically has the following progression of symptoms through cold, hot and sweating stages:*.Sensation of cold, shivering*.Fever, headaches, and vomiting(seizures sometimes occur in young children)*.Sweats followed by a return to normal temperature, with tiredness.Severe malaria is defined by clinical or laboratory evidence of vital organ dysfunction. This form has the capacity to be fatal if left untreated.As a general overview, symptoms of severe malaria include:*.Fever and chills*.Impaired consciousness*.Prostration (adopting a prone or prayer position)*.Multiple convulsions*.Deep breathing and respiratory distress*.Abnormal bleeding and signs of anemia*.Clinical jaundice and evidence of vital organ dysfunction.

Treatments for malariaIf left untreated, malaria can be fatal. The aim of treatment is to eliminate thePlasmodiumparasite from the patient's bloodstream. Even those who are asymptomatic may be treated for infection so as to reduce the risk of disease transmission in the general populace.Anti-malaria drugs are moreaccessible than ever before,but further challenges lie ahead until the disease is eradicated.Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended bythe WHO to treat uncomplicated malaria. Artemisinin is derived from the plantArtemisia annua, better known as sweet wormwood, and is known for its ability to reduce quickly the number ofPlasmodiumparasites in the bloodstream.ACT is artemisinin combined with a partner drug. The role of artemisinin is to reduce the number of parasites within the first three days while the partner drugs eliminate the rest.Expanding the access to ACTs hasbeen integral to the global fight against the disease. In 2013, 392 million ACT treatment courses were obtained by endemic countries, a substantial rise from 11 million in 2005.However, there is growing concern about the increase of cases of malaria resistant to the effects of ACTs. As of February 2015, artemisinin resistance has been confirmed in five countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. For these cases, individuals were still successfully treated, but the ACT must contain an effective partner drug.