MALARIA - Meaning, Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment

MALARIA – Meaning, Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment

MALARIA – Here is the meaning, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment on a mosquito-borne parasitical disease called malaria.

Meaning

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by a parasite. People infected by this disease usually face fever, chills, and flu-like illness.

The disease can be categorized into two: uncomplicatd and severe. Luckily, this can be curable if diagnosed and treated correctly.

About the Parasite

This involves the infection of humans and female mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus. For humans, the parasite grows and spread on the liver cells and then in the red cells of the blood.

Incubation Period

When bitten by an Anopheles mosquito, the incubation period starts before the first symptoms. It usually takes 7 to 30 days and it depends whether the infected person, who is in a malaria-infested area took antimalarial drugs. The person has to remind health care providers of any travel in malaria-infested areas for the past 12 months.

Transmisson

This can be transmitted via the following:

Mosquito-Borne
- Via the bite of an Anopheles mosquito
Airport
- Caused by mosquitoes that are transmitted rapidly by aircraft from a malaria-infested nation
Congenital
- Infected mothers also transmit the parasite to the child inside their stomach
Transfusion-Transmitted
- The rarest but a potential severe complication

Symptoms

In the case of Uncomplicated Type
- An attack usually lasts for 6-10 hours. The infected should experience the following:
  - A cold stage (sensation of cold, shivering)
  - A hot stage (fever, headaches, vomiting; seizures in young children); and
  - Finally a sweating stage (sweats, return to normal temperature, tiredness).
- Fever
- Chills
- Sweats
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Body aches
- General malaise
- Elevated temperatures
- Perspiration
- Weakness
- Enlarged spleen
- Mild jaundice
- Enlargement of the liver
- Increased respiratory rate
In the case of the Severe Type
- Cerebral malaria, with abnormal behavior, impairment of consciousness, seizures, coma, or other neurologic abnormalities
- Severe anemia due to hemolysis (destruction of the red blood cells)
- Hemoglobinuria (hemoglobin in the urine) due to hemolysis
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an inflammatory reaction in the lungs that inhibits oxygen exchange, which may occur even after the parasite counts have decreased in response to treatment
- Abnormalities in blood coagulation
- Low blood pressure caused by cardiovascular collapse
- Acute kidney injury
- Hyperparasitemia, where more than 5% of the red blood cells are infected by malaria parasites
- Metabolic acidosis (excessive acidity in the blood and tissue fluids), often in association with hypoglycemia
- Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). Hypoglycemia may also occur in pregnant women with uncomplicated malaria, or after treatment with quinine.