Who is malaria

Plasmodium falciparum causes the most serious, life-threatening infections in humans. An Anopheles mosquito taking a blood meal from a human. Related Content:. Malaria: An Introduction. What are infectious diseases? Malaria Challenge.

How helpful was this page? What's the main reason for your rating? Which of these best describes your occupation? Malaria can also be spread through blood transfusions and the sharing of needles, but this is very rare. Read more about the causes of malaria and how it's spread.

Malaria is not found in the UK — it may be diagnosed in travellers who return to the UK from risk areas. The TravelHealthPro website has more information about the risk of malaria in specific countries. Many cases of malaria can be avoided.

An easy way to remember is the ABCD approach to prevention:. Speak to your GP if you're planning to visit an area where there's a malaria risk. It may be recommended that you take antimalarial tablets to prevent infection. If malaria is diagnosed and treated promptly, virtually everyone will make a full recovery. Treatment should be started as soon as the diagnosis has been confirmed. Antimalarial medication is used to both treat and prevent malaria.

Which type of medication is used and the length of treatment will depend on:. In some cases, you may be prescribed emergency standby treatment for malaria before you travel. Delaying treatment can have serious consequences. Treatment for malaria will vary depending on which specific species of Plasmodium you were infected with and the severity of the disease.

Complications of malaria are more common with falciparum malaria, which is the most potentially life threatening. People with severe falciparum malaria may develop liver and kidney failure, convulsions, and coma. You can prevent malaria by using antimalarial drugs and taking measures against mosquito bites.

This includes such as using mosquito nets when sleeping at night and insect repellent during the day. When planning to travel to an area where malaria occurs, talk with your healthcare provider well in advance of your trip. He or she can prescribe medicine to prevent malaria. But, travelers to different countries may have different recommendations.

Travelers visiting cities or rural areas where there is no risk of malaria may not need preventive drugs. You'll need to have an exact itinerary so your doctor can determine what treatment you need.

There are several medicines to prevent malaria in travelers. Determining which medicine is best depends on several factors, such as your medical history and the amount of time before your trip. For treatment to be effective, you must take the medicine exactly as prescribed. And, you must start these medicines before you arrive at your destination and continue them for a specific number of days or weeks after your return, depending on which medicine is prescribed.

Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Use a mosquito net over the bed if your bedroom is not air-conditioned or screened. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most common. Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly. Malaria transmission rates can differ depending on local factors such as rainfall patterns mosquitoes breed in wet conditions , the proximity of mosquito breeding sites to people, and types of mosquito species in the area.

Some regions have a fairly constant number of cases throughout the year - these countries are termed "malaria endemic". In other areas there are "malaria seasons" usually coinciding with the rainy season. Large and devastating epidemics can occur when the mosquito-borne parasite is introduced into areas where people have had little prior contact with the infecting parasite and have little or no immunity to malaria, or when people with low immunity move into areas where malaria cases are constant.

These epidemics can be triggered by wet weather conditions and further aggravated by floods or mass population movements driven by conflict.

Do all mosquitoes transmit malaria? The common first symptoms - fever, headache, chills and vomiting - usually appear 10 to 15 days after a person is infected. If not treated promptly with effective medicines, malaria can cause severe illness and is often fatal.

Most cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. In , malaria was present in 91 countries and territories. Early treatment of malaria will shorten its duration, prevent complications and avoid a majority of deaths. Because of its considerable drag on health in low-income countries, malaria disease management is an essential part of global health development.

Treatment aims to cure patients of the disease rather than to diminish the number of parasites carried by an infected person. The best available treatment, particularly for P.