What Is Malaria?
Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It is usually
transmitted through the bite of an infected
Anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the
Plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites you,
the parasite is released into your bloodstream.
Once the parasites are inside your body, they
travel to the liver, where they mature. After
several days, the mature parasites enter the
bloodstream and begin to infect red blood cells.
Within 48 to 72 hours, the parasites inside the red
blood cells multiply, causing the infected cells to
burst open. The parasites continue to infect red
blood cells, resulting in symptoms that occur in
two-to-three-day cycles.
What Causes Malaria?
Malaria can occur if a mosquito infected with the
Plasmodium parasite bites you. In addition, an
infected mother can pass the disease to her baby
at birth. This is known as congenital malaria.
Because malaria is transmitted by blood, it can also
be transmitted through:
•an organ transplant
•a transfusion
•shared use of needles or syringes
What Are the Symptoms of
Malaria?
Symptoms of malaria typically develop within 10
days to four weeks following the infection. In some
patients, symptoms may not develop for several
months. Some malarial parasites can enter the
body but will be dormant for long periods of time.
Common symptoms of malaria include:
shaking chills that are moderate to severe
•high fever
•profuse sweating
•headache
•nausea
•vomiting
•diarrhea
•anemia
•muscle pain
•convulsions
•coma
•bloody stools
•sore throat
How Is Malaria Treated?
Malaria is a life-threatening condition. 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 will not be effective.
Drug-resistant parasites have been reported.
These parasites make many drugs ineffective. If
this occurs, your doctor may need to change
medications or use more than one medication to
treat your condition.
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