Malaria 1

Running Head: MALARIA

Malaria
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Malaria is one of the world most common infections (About Malaria, 2008). Each

year approximately 500 million people become sick with this malaria, and a least one

million of these people will die trying to fight off the disease (About Malaria, 2008).

Today Malaria is a serious health problem in 100 countries (About Malaria, 2008). Most

of these cases occur in Africa; however there are also many cases that occur in Asia,

Latin America, the Middle East, and some parts of Europe (About Malaria, 2008).

Malaria does occur in the rest of the world, but the disease usually contracted during a

trip to an area that is at a high risk of malaria (“About Malaria”, 2008).

Malaria is caused when a female anopheles mosquito carrying the Plasmodium

parasite, bits a human (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). When the human is bitten

the mosquito injects the Plasmodium parasite into the body (“Malaria Reference

Summary”, 2005). The parasites quickly hide themselves from the immune system in the

bodies liver cells (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). The parasites multiply 1000’s

of times, which causes the infected liver cells to burst, and spill into the blood stream

(“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). The parasites invade the red blood cells, and live

off hemoglobin, until the red blood cells burst then the parasites inhabit different blood

cells (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). This cycle continues until the immune

system or medications fight off the infection, or the infected person is too weak to fight

off the malaria anymore and dies (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005).

If a person is infected with malaria and is then bitten by a female anopheles mosquito

then the infection could be passed on to the mosquito, and in turn pasted on to the next

person on malaria bites (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). Other ways a person

could contract malaria could be from receiving a blood transfusion from an infected
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person, needle sharing of any kind, or a pregnant mother can infect her unborn baby

(“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005).

Once malaria is contracted, it can be ten to sixteen days until the person shows

symptoms. (“WHO: Malaria”, 2007) The symptoms of malaria come in three stages:

chills, fever, and sweating. In the chill stage the patients often get headaches, nausea and

vomiting (“WHO: Malaria”, 2007). Then within one to two hours of getting the chills,

the patient’s temperature rises, and their skin becomes hot and dry (“WHO: Malaria”,

2007). When the temperature starts return to normal the sweating begins (“WHO:

Malaria”, 2007). After the sweating stage the patient begins to feel better (“Malaria

Reference Summary”, 2005). However in two to three days when another group on red

blood cells burst the three stages repeat again(“WHO: Malaria”, 2007). Most people are

able to get over malaria within ten to twenty days, but young children, elders, and the

physically weak often do not have the strength to survive the illness (“Malaria Reference

Summary”, 2005).

Once it is suspected that a patent may have malaria, the doctors will begin treatment

(“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). Quite often the doctors will start the malaria

treatments before an actual diagnosis is made, because malaria must be treated

immediately (“WHO: Malaria”, 2007). Depending on the type of malaria and the place

of infection the treatment varies (“WHO: Malaria”, 2007). Chloroquine is the main

element of treatment for malaria; however some strands of malaria are immune to this

method of treatment, in this case other combinations of drugs would be used (“Malaria

Reference Summary”, 2005). During the illness the doctors will monitor their patients
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for complications like anemia, kidney failure, fluid imbalance, or brain damage (“Malaria

Reference Summary”, 2005).

Malaria is a preventable disease, and anit-malairal drugs can be taken to prevent

yourself from the dangers of malaria (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005). This

medication must be taken during and after the visiting an area at risk of malaria (“Malaria

Reference Summary”, 2005). Malaria can also be prevented by keeping legs and arms

covered, sleeping under mosquito netting, using mosquito repellent, and staying indoors

at dusk and in the night (“Malaria Reference Summary”, 2005).

For residence that live in areas where malaria is present, the people often build up a

partial immunity against malaria, from their multiply contractions of the disease(Adams,

2005). This partial immunity does not stop the people from contacting the disease but it

does stop the major effects of the infection(Adams, 2005). This limited effecting version

of malaria is very unlikely to cause death(Adams, 2005). Malaria deaths occur most

often to infants and young children, because they have had fewer contacts with the illness

(Adams, 2005). One in twenty children born in these areas is estimated to die before

their fifth birthday, because of malaria (About Malaria, 2008). Pregnant women are also

at are at a large risk, because their immune systems are suppressed during pregnancy

(Adams, 2005). The risk for pregnant women is also increased, because a special

molecule of malaria attaches itself to the placenta, but after the women’s first pregnancy

her immune system will recognized the parasite and defend against it (Adams, 2005).

Some people are just born with immunity to malaria, and the disease is unable to act as it

regularly would in a human body (Adams, 2005).

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In the world approximately ten percent of the world’s population will become ill from

malaria at some time in their life, and most of these people or in the worlds poorest

countries (About Malaria, 2008). In African hospitals six out of ten patients are there

receiving treatment for malaria, because these patients were unable to afford preventative

medicine, and have yet to develop immunity (About Malaria, 2008). With programs such

as the Malaria Foundation International, the hope for people with malaria is slowing

becoming greater. If the world works together malaria may become a disease of the past.
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References

About Malaria.(2008). Malaria Foundation International. Retrieved January 3, 2008, from

the World Wide Web:
http://www.malaria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=section &id=8 &
Itemid=32

Malaria Reference Summary. (2004). The Patient Education Institute Inc. Retrieved
January 3, 2008 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/malaria/id319102.pdf

Malaria (2005). Microsoft Student 2006 [Computer Program]. Redmond, WA: Adams, H.

World Health Organization: Malaria.(2007). World Health Organization. Retrieved

January 3, 2008, from the World Wide Web:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/print.html