The kidneys can also be affected in some cases. Worldwide, hundreds of millions of people are infected with malaria each year. Most cases are in sub-Saharan Africa. Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe are also affected by malaria.
Every year, there are about , deaths from malaria worldwide. Malaria is rare in the United States, and most of these cases are in travelers, military personnel, and immigrants. Malaria can affect people of all ages, but young children and pregnant women are more likely to develop severe illness. Doctors suspect malaria based on a person's symptoms, physical findings, and where a person lives or has traveled.
Doctors might take a blood sample to be checked under a microscope for malaria parasites, which are seen inside infected red blood cells. In countries where the disease is seen a lot, doctors often treat people for malaria who have a fever with no obvious cause without getting lab tests to prove the person has malaria.
Malaria is treated with anti-malarial drugs given by mouth, by injection, or intravenously into the veins. What causes malaria? Plasmodium falciparum — mainly found in Africa, it's the most common type of malaria parasite and is responsible for most malaria deaths worldwide, though treatment does cure the infection. Plasmodium ovale — fairly uncommon and usually found in West Africa. Plasmodium malariae — this is quite rare and usually only found in Africa.
Plasmodium knowlesi — this is very rare and found in parts of southeast Asia. How malaria is spread The Plasmodium parasite is spread by mosquitoes. Where is malaria found? Complications of malaria Malaria is a serious illness that can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated quickly. Anaemia The destruction of red blood cells by the malaria parasite can cause severe anaemia. Cerebral malaria In rare cases, malaria can affect the brain. Other complications Other complications that can arise as a result of severe malaria include: liver failure and jaundice — yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes shock — a sudden drop in blood pressure pulmonary oedema — a build-up of fluid in the lungs acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS abnormally low blood sugar — hypoglycaemia kidney failure swelling and rupturing of the spleen dehydration Malaria in pregnancy If you get malaria while pregnant, you and your baby have an increased risk of developing serious complications like: premature birth — birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy low birth weight restricted growth of the baby in the womb stillbirth miscarriage death of the mother Pregnant women are advised to avoid travelling to regions with a risk of malaria.
Preventing and treating malaria If you travel to an area that has malaria, you are at risk of the infection. Preventing malaria Malaria can often be avoided using the ABCD approach to prevention, which stands for: Awareness of risk — find out whether you're at risk of getting malaria Bite prevention — use insect repellent, cover your skin with clothing, and use a mosquito net to avoid mosquito bites Check whether you need to take antimalarial prevention tablets by visiting a travel health clinic - if you do, make sure you take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose and finish the course Diagnosis — seek immediate medical advice if you have malaria symptoms, including up to a year after you return from travelling Being aware of the risks To check whether you are travelling to a malaria risk area see the fitfortravel or National Travel Health Network and Centre NaTHNaC websites.
Preventing mosquito bites Avoiding mosquito bites is one of the best ways to prevent malaria. There are several steps you can take to avoid being bitten. These are available in: sprays roll-ons sticks creams There's no evidence to suggest that other remedies protect against malaria, such as homeopathic remedies , electronic buzzers, vitamins B1 or B12 , garlic, yeast extract spread Marmite , tea tree oils or bath oils. Antimalarial tablets Antimalarial tablets can help prevent you from developing a malaria infection.
How long antimalarial tablets should be taken will depend on which tablet is used. Taking antimalarial medication You may need to take a short trial course of antimalarial tablets before travelling. Do make sure you get the right antimalarial tablets before you go — visit a travel health clinic for advice on which is the best antimalarial for you follow the instructions included with your tablets carefully make sure you complete the full course of tablets.
There's currently no vaccine available that offers protection against malaria. Types of antimalarial medication The type of antimalarial tablets that you will be recommended is based on the following information: where you're going any relevant family medical history your medical history, including any allergies to medication any medication you're currently taking any problems you've had with antimalarial medicines in the past your age whether you're pregnant If you've taken antimalarial medication in the past, don't assume it's suitable for future trips.
The main types of antimalarials used to prevent malaria are: Atovaquone plus proguanil also known as Maloff protect or Malarone Doxycycline also known as Vibramycin-D Mefloquine also known as Lariam To find out what type of antimalarial medication is best for you, visit your local travel clinic. Treating malaria If malaria is diagnosed and treated quickly, you should fully recover.
Treatment for malaria can leave you feeling very tired and weak for several weeks. The type of medicine and how long you need to take it will depend on: the type of malaria you have the severity of your symptoms whether you took preventative antimalarial tablets your age whether you're pregnant.
Tweet Click here to share this page on Twitter This will open a new window. Because the malaria parasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person, malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood.
Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted. You cannot get malaria from casual contact with malaria-infected people, such as sitting next to someone who has malaria. Anyone can get malaria. Most cases occur in people who live in countries with malaria transmission. People from countries with no malaria can become infected when they travel to countries with malaria or through a blood transfusion although this is very rare.
Also, an infected mother can transmit malaria to her infant before or during delivery. Plasmodium falciparum is the type of malaria that most often causes severe and life-threatening malaria; this parasite is very common in many countries in Africa south of the Sahara desert.
People who are heavily exposed to the bites of mosquitoes infected with P. People who have little or no immunity to malaria, such as young children and pregnant women or travelers coming from areas with no malaria, are more likely to become very sick and die.
Poor people living in rural areas who lack access to health care are at greater risk for this disease. Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice yellow coloring of the skin and eyes because of the loss of red blood cells. If not promptly treated, the infection can become severe and may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. For most people, symptoms begin 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, although a person may feel ill as early as 7 days or as late as 1 year later.
Two kinds of malaria, P. Most people, at the beginning of the disease, have fever, sweats, chills, headaches, malaise, muscles aches, nausea, and vomiting.
Malaria can very rapidly become a severe and life-threatening disease. The surest way for you and your health-care provider to know whether you have malaria is to have a diagnostic test where a drop of your blood is examined under the microscope for the presence of malaria parasites. If you are sick and there is any suspicion of malaria for example, if you have recently traveled in a country where malaria transmission occurs , the test should be performed without delay.
CDC has a list of all the places in the world where malaria transmission occurs and the malaria drugs that are recommended for prevention in each place. Many effective antimalarial drugs are available. Your health-care provider and you will decide on the best drug for you , if any, based on your travel plans, medical history, age, drug allergies, pregnancy status, and other factors.
To allow enough time for some of the drugs to become effective and for a pharmacy to prepare any special doses of medicine especially doses for children and infants , you may need to visit your health-care provider weeks before travel. Other malaria medicines only need to be started the day before travel and so last-minute travelers can still benefit from a visit to their health-care provider before traveling. The drugs used to prevent malaria have been shown to be safe and well-tolerated for long term use.
Anyone who goes to a country where malaria transmission occurs should take precautions against contracting malaria. During the time that you have spent in the United States, you have lost any malaria immunity that you might have had while living in your native country. Without frequent exposure to malaria parasites, your immune system has lost its ability to fight malaria. Please consult with your health-care provider or a travel clinic about precautions to take against malaria preventive drugs and protection against mosquito bites and against other diseases.
Buying medications abroad has its risks. The drugs could be of poor quality because of the way they are produced. The drugs could contain contaminants or they could be counterfeit drugs and therefore may not provide you the protection you need against malaria. In addition, some medications that are sold overseas are not used anymore in the United States or were never sold here.
These drugs may not be safe or their safety has never been evaluated. This is known as congenital malaria. The symptoms of malaria typically develop within 10 days to 4 weeks following the infection. In some cases, symptoms may not develop for several months. Some malarial parasites can enter the body but will be dormant for long periods of time.
Your doctor will be able to diagnose malaria. During your appointment, your doctor will review your health history, including any recent travel to tropical climates. A physical exam will also be performed.
Your doctor will be able to determine if you have an enlarged spleen or liver. If you have symptoms of malaria, your doctor may order additional blood tests to confirm your diagnosis.
Treatment for the disease is typically provided in a hospital. Your doctor will prescribe medications based on the type of parasite that you have. In some instances, the medication prescribed may not clear the infection because of parasite resistance to drugs.
If this occurs, your doctor may need to use more than one medication or change medications altogether to treat your condition.
Additionally, certain types of malaria parasites, such as P. People with malaria who receive treatment typically have a good long-term outlook. If complications arise as a result of malaria, the outlook may not be as good. Cerebral malaria, which causes swelling of the blood vessels of the brain, can result in brain damage.
The long-term outlook for patients with drug-resistant parasites may also be poor. In these patients, malaria may recur.
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