Mosquito Control

A Guide to Malaria – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Malaria is a serious infection that is spread not by a virus but by a parasite. If not treated on time with proper treatment, malaria may lead to brain damage, organ failure, breathing issues, and even death.

‘M’ for mosquito, and ‘M’ for malaria, this is not the only connection between the two. The former is directly related to the latter in terms of cause. Malaria is one of the oldest and most common mosquito-borne diseases spread by a bite of an infected mosquito.

Curious to know malaria is caused by which mosquito and what is the treatment for this infection. Read on to get answers to all these questions related to malaria and much more in this post.

  1. What is Malaria?
  2. Risk Factor of Malaria
  3. Malaria Symptoms
  4. Causes of Malaria
  5. Diagnosis of Malaria
  6. Malaria Treatment
  7. Recovery Time for Malaria
  8. Prevention of Malaria
  9. Diet for Malaria Patient
  10. Food Not to Take in Malaria

What is Malaria?

Before we came to know about dengue and chikungunya, the only disease we knew that was spread by mosquito bites was malaria. It is a vector-borne disease spread through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. 

Malaria is a serious infection that is spread not by a virus but by a parasite. If not treated on time with proper treatment, malaria may lead to brain damage, organ failure, breathing issues, and even death. 

5 Types of Malaria

Malaria can be spread by five different species of a single parasite Plasmodium:

  1. P. falciparum or Plasmodium falciparum
  2. P. ovale or Plasmodium ovale
  3. P. malariae or Plasmodium malariae
  4. P. vivax or Plasmodium vivax
  5. P. knowlesi or Plasmodium knowlesi

Risk Factor of Malaria

A majority of malaria cases occur in Africa, Eastern Europe, South and Southeast Asia, Haiti, Central and South America, and the Islands in the South and Central Pacific Ocean. Besides this viral infection is seen more in small children, elderly, and pregnant women.

You will be shocked to know that 90% of people who die due to malaria are in Africa and out of these 80% were children below the age of 5 years. This vector-borne disease is seen to affect people in regions that are hot and humid.

Also Read: Benefits of Professional Mosquito Control Service

Malaria Symptoms

The earlier you catch the signs of malaria, the easier it becomes to cure it. 

Following are some common signs that can help detect malaria:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Chest pain
  • Chills and shivering
  • Diarrhea
  • Breathing issues
  • Cough

Severe Malaria Symptoms

If the disease is not treated on time through the right treatment, malaria may show the following severe symptoms in a patient:

  • Low blood sugar levels
  • Kidney failure
  • Brain tissue damage
  • Severe anemia
  • Red blood cells damage
  • Pulmonary edema
  • Yellow coloration of the skin

Causes of Malaria

We all know that malaria is caused by a mosquito bite. Let us elaborate a bit on what spreads malaria? Malaria is caused when the Anopheles mosquito bites a malaria infected person, and when the same mosquito bites someone else, it transfers the infection into the other person’s blood. 

Diagnosis of Malaria

A healthcare provider will diagnose malaria based on your signs and traveling history. Another thing that the doctor will examine is your enlarged spleen, which usually swells in a person infected by malaria infection.

Malaria infection, however, will be confirmed with a blood sample smeared using special chemicals in a lab to detect the presence of Plasmodium parasites.

Malaria Treatment

We already mentioned that there are 5 types of malaria. Out of these, malaria caused by P. falciparum is considered to be the most fatal type of malaria. A person suffering from this type of malaria should be given the best treatment as early as possible.

To treat malaria, a healthcare provider will prescribe you some parasite-killing drugs depending on the type of parasite that has infected you.

Medication used in Malaria Treatment

The good news about malaria is that it is curable through medication. Following are the commonly prescribed antimalarial medicines prescribed for malaria patients:

  • Artemether or Artesunate
  • Doxycycline
  • Quinine
  • Chloroquine
  • Mefloquine
  • Primaquine
  • Atovaquone

Also Read: How To Protect Yourself & Your Family From Mosquitoes

Recovery Time for Malaria

With proper detection at an early stage and thorough treatment, malaria patients may recover within 2 weeks of the infection. If the patient is not given proper malaria treatment, the symptoms may recur after some interval and it will take more time to recover from the infection.

Prevention of Malaria

It has been repeatedly said that prevention is better than cure. The same golden rule applies in the case of malaria. This serious parasitical infection can be kept away by following these precautions:

  1. Sleeping under mosquito nets
  2. Using effective mosquito repellents like AutoMos Mosquito Repellent Dispenser
  3. Installing windows and doors screens to stop the entry of mosquitoes into home
  4. Wearing full-length clothes and exposing the minimum body to mosquitoes
  5. Not allowing stagnant water in and around the house
  6. Getting complete mosquito pest control at home

Diet for Malaria Patient

The type of food a malaria patient plays a vital role in recovering from the infection. Try to include the following food items in the diet of a malaria patient:

  • Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits
  • Fresh fruits
  • Green leafy vegetables like spinach
  • Healthy soups
  • Eggs
  • Yogurt
  • Milk
  • Probiotics
  • Legumes
  • Garlic
  • Ajwain
  • Turmeric
  • Plenty of water
  • Soaked almonds

Food Not to Take in Malaria

It is equally important to know which food items to avoid during malaria. So, here is a list of food items a malaria patient should not be given:

  • Spicy food
  • High fiber food
  • Processed food
  • Junk food
  • Fried and oily food
  • Caffeine products like tea, coffee, and soft drinks

The Bottom Line

So, now you know which mosquito spreads malaria and what are the causes, symptoms, and types of malaria. No matter whether you have small children at home or not, safeguarding your family against malaria should be your prime concern. For this, book mosquito control services from an experienced pest solution provider like HiCare to keep the dangerous malaria mosquito away. You may also choose to buy AutoMos Super Saver Pack for 365 days of mosquito protection.

A Guide to Malaria – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment
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