Everything you should know about Malaria

Learn more about the Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Malaria can be considered a life-threatening disease that can have serious repercussions on the body if not diagnosed properly. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, and its symptoms generally depend on the type of malaria parasite you are infected with. 

In some cases, people having no symptoms of malaria can also suffer from the disease, and that mostly happens to people who have poor immunity. However, the general symptoms of uncomplicated malaria include fever, headaches, seizures, etc.  

The possibility of contracting malaria is higher in tropical countries since it is mostly hot and humid in such places. A report excerpted from WHO suggests, around 300-500 million malaria cases are diagnosed annually worldwide.

With that being the case, malaria causes a huge socio-economic burden in nearly 90 countries of the tropical region (1)

This acute febrile illness gets passed on from one person to another through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, where they act as a vector. Generally, the disease is not spread directly from one person to another. However, it can also transmit through contaminated needles or blood transfusions. 

The mosquito transmission cycle starts with the insect getting infected by feeding on a person already suffering from the disease. When this same mosquito bites other individuals, malaria parasites are transmitted to their body and infect the red blood cells, and thus, the person develops malaria symptoms.

Malaria has a significant incubation period. This is the period between the initial infection of a person and the first symptoms to appear. Usually, it takes seven to eighteen days to develop mild symptoms. However, in some rare cases, parasites might live in human bodies for years without showing symptoms. 

Symptoms of malaria, which are generally observed, are:

• Muscle pain and headache. 
• Fatigue, nausea. 
• High temperature, chills that lead to uncontrollable shakes. 
• Trouble in breathing, chest pain, cough. 
• Diarrhoea and vomiting. 

The most common symptom of malaria is a six to twelve-hour period of shivering along with high fever, headache and weakness. You might face some flu-like symptoms even after getting infected by malaria parasites. Thus, it is always wise to get a medical check-up done in such cases.

More than 100 types of Plasmodium have been discovered, which can infect different species - mammals, birds, and reptiles. malaria can be categorised as severe and uncomplicated where P. falciparum falls under the severe category, and people infected with this type of parasite have a higher risk of mortality. 

While Plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous among all the malaria parasite types, the contamination from Plasmodium vivax parasite is also quite common.

The infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite, which is categorised into four types, namely, Plasmodium malariae, P. vivax, P. falciparum, and P. ovale. The malaria parasite gets injected into the bloodstream when infected mosquitoes bite a person.

Apart from fever, this particular disease also exhibits several other health concerns, such as breathing trouble, seizures, organ failure, etc. The development cycle of the malaria parasite depends on how long the lifespan of that infected mosquito is.

But, how does a mosquito get afflicted by such a parasite?

As mentioned earlier, malaria is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, where the severity of this disease depends on factors like the vector, types of parasite, human host and the climate.  

The climatic condition plays a key role since mosquito breeds are found only in places with specific temperature ranges. Malaria epidemics occur during monsoons, in places with high humidity levels and where people have little or no immunity. But how exactly does the transmission occur? 

Generally, these mosquitoes get infected after biting someone who has been suffering from this disease already. At such a time, the insect ingests a small amount of infected blood containing the malaria parasites. Next, when it bites another person, the parasite mixes with its saliva and gets transferred to this other person’s body. 

Initially, these parasites travel to the liver and then make their way to the bloodstream to infect red blood cells. Apart from this, there are multiple other ways a healthy person may be affected by malaria, such as through organ transplant, blood transfusion, etc. There are also instances of congenital malaria where the disease can transmit from an infected mother to her baby at birth during delivery.

The risk associated with this disease needs to be examined thoroughly and detected as early as possible to ensure a speedy recovery. If you have been to any of the malaria-endemic areas and observed certain symptoms, it is wise to rely on microscopic laboratory testing to acquire confirmation. 

Distinguishing malaria can be tricky, given that the disease has basic flu-like symptoms in the beginning. Therefore, a parasitological test is necessary to identify the illness and start the malaria treatment process right away.

If you are afflicted by the condition, you would need to rely on prescribed medications to get the Plasmodium parasite eliminated from the bloodstream. The duration of its treatment process depends on the type of parasite you have in your blood cells. 

It is better to get the treatment for malaria under expert supervision, especially in a hospital, since you get easy access to necessary medicine and advanced equipment to treat your condition.

In the case of uncomplicated malaria, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended as it swiftly decreases the proportion of Plasmodium parasites in the bloodstream.

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While discussing malaria’s risk factors, the first mention deserves to be the place you live in or visiting, and if the disease is common in those areas.

For instance, all the tropical and subtropical regions like South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Sub-Saharan Africa, etc., are prone to these diseases. 

Different kinds of parasites bring about different types of malaria, and most of the complications arise mainly due to missed or delayed diagnosis.

In case of severe Plasmodium falciparum infections, the doctor may observe symptoms of anaemia as the parasite destroys the red blood cells after a point.

The parasite-filled red blood cells may end up blocking the circulation of major organs, giving rise to more severe problems like liver failure, jaundice, pulmonary oedema, etc.

What other complications can afflict Malaria patients?

You may notice other complications of malaria, like acidosis, where the pH of the patient’s blood ends up becoming acidic because the red blood cells keep releasing toxic compounds. Often the patient can suffer from breathlessness because of the low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide in the lungs.

Since the vaccine is not yet available, it is better to keep yourself safe from getting contaminated by malaria parasites. Try not to visit the malaria-endemic countries and follow necessary measures in case it cannot be avoided. 

You can protect yourself from the complications of malaria by taking the following measures:

• Apply mosquito repellent: Consider going for a mosquito repellent that is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency since it contains para-menthane-3,8-diol, DEET, IR3535, and other effective elements. 
• Cover your skin: You can wear long-sleeved shirts or dresses and trousers to avoid skin exposure and mosquito bites. You can even spray mosquito repellent on your clothes for extra protection. 
• No standing water: Usually keeping water accumulated in containers, tyres or small pits makes it easier for mosquitoes to grow. Make sure these storage boxes do not have standing water, especially during monsoon, and try to keep those places clean as much as possible.
• Use mosquito nets: This is one of the simplest ways to keep yourself away from mosquitoes and the disease. You can also avoid harmful chemicals while using a mosquito net instead of an ointment. 
• Get the shot: In case you are visiting an endemic zone, make sure to use antimalarial prophylaxis beforehand. 

Malaria is a concerning disease, especially in India. The temperature and weather here are perfect for mosquitoes to breed. Moreover, the presence of dirty and stagnant water also gives rise to Anopheles mosquitoes. Thus, taking the proper precautions is essential to avoid such afflictions.

Also, if you suspect that you are affected by malaria, seek medical assistance immediately. Delaying treatment can cause significant complications or even death.

Medical researchers are constantly working on developing effective malaria vaccines. Thus, no vaccine is yet licensed in any of the countries.

Despite introducing several anti malaria medications, some of the endemic zones still struggle with the disease. Even in those areas, a lot of immune boosters and home remedies have proven to be effective to deal with the disease. Here are some of them:

• Turmeric: Containing amazing antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, turmeric is quite powerful when it comes to tackling the malaria parasite. Consider drinking a glass of turmeric milk every night and you are good to go!
• Cinnamon: Its anti-inflammatory nature helps in dealing with the symptoms or pain associated with this disease. Pour some along with black pepper powder in hot water and consume once or twice a day.
• Citrus fruits: These vitamin-C enriched fruits are extremely beneficial to stop the infection from spreading and increase the healing capacity of your body. For that, you can have them by extracting juice or eating directly, depending on your condition. 

Apart from these, you will find some other ingredients like ginger, apple cider vinegar, basil, herbal tea, etc., lying around your kitchen which are equally useful for malaria. While you are getting yourself medically treated, try these natural remedies out to reduce the pain. 

Take care and stay safe!