SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES OF MALARIA
Malaria is a
life-threatening disease. It’s typically 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 cycles that last two to three days at a time.
Malaria is typically found in tropical and subtropical climates where the parasites can live. The World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source states that, in 2016, there were an estimated 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report 1,700 casesTrusted Source of malaria annually. Most cases of malaria develop in people who travel to countries where malaria is more common.
Malaria can occur
if a mosquito infected with the Plasmodium parasite bites you.
There are four kinds of malaria parasites that can infect humans: Plasmodium
vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P.
falciparum.
P.
falciparum causes a
more severe form of the disease and those who contract this form of malaria
have a higher risk of death. An infected mother can also pass the disease to
her baby at birth. This is known as congenital malaria.
Malaria is
transmitted by blood, so it can also be transmitted through:
- an organ transplant
- a transfusion
- use of shared needles or syringes
What are the symptoms of
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.
Common
symptoms of malaria include:
- shaking chills that
can range from moderate to severe
- high fever
- profuse sweating
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- anemia
- muscle pain
- convulsions
- coma
- bloody
stools
No comments:
Post a Comment