Malaria is a disease caused by parasitic mosquitoes. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms. Without treatment, patients can develop severe complications and this can be fatal. Methods for treating malaria will be described below.
Steps
Step 1. Know if you are at risk
Anyone can contract malaria. Below is a list of factors that can increase your risk of contracting malaria:
- Living in countries with frequent malaria cases
- Traveling to countries with malaria
- Blood transfusion (rare)
- Organ transplant (rare)
- General use of needles contaminated with blood
- Many mosquito bites infected with P. falciparum
Step 2. Know that there is no vaccine for malaria
Malaria can be treated with medications. The type of drugs and the duration of treatment depend on the following:
- Malaria type
- Patient's age
- Where did the infection occur?
- How serious is the patient's condition at the beginning of treatment
- Pregnancy
Step 3. Prevention is the best medicine
It is recommended that you take antimalarial medication when traveling. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following antimalarial drugs:
- atovaquone / proguanil
- chloroquine
- doxycycline
- mefloquine
- primaquine
Advice
- Learn to recognize the symptoms of malaria. Pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Temperature
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomit
- Diarrhea
- Anemia
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Breathing problems
- Whenever possible, try to avoid camping or places where water stagnates. Pour water out of bowls and pans. Open containers for drinking water must be kept closed. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water.
- Use insecticides and flying insect sprays to control mosquitoes in areas where you spend a lot of time.
- The mosquito, which carries malaria, bites at night. Try to plan your activities to be safe between dusk and dawn.
- If you travel outside of Canada, the United States and Western Europe, you are at risk of contracting malaria. Find out which countries have many malaria cases and take the necessary precautions when planning your trip.
- Apply insect repellent to your skin. The US Centers for Disease Control recommends the following repellents:
- DEET
- Picaridin
- Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
- IR3535
- Use insect nets when sleeping in areas full of anopheles mosquitoes.
- When choosing an insect repellent, look for products with a higher amount of the active ingredient that lasts for a longer period. For example, the 10% DEET formula can only protect you for 1-2 hours. On the other hand, studies have shown that DEET is most effective at a concentration of 50%, and a higher concentration does not increase the duration of action.
- If possible, stay in closed, air-conditioned rooms.
- Wear long sleeves.
Warnings
- Plasmodium malaria infection (a type of malaria), if not treated promptly, can lead to seizures, confusion, kidney failure, coma, and death.
- Purchase antimalarial drugs before traveling abroad. In countries with a high risk of malaria, travelers are known to be frequently sold "fake" or substandard drugs.