Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment of Malaria

Nancy Fullman, Regional Center for Public Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, Email: fullmanancy2@gmail.com

Received: 01-Apr-2022, Manuscript No. AJPMPH-22-62811; Editor assigned: 04-Apr-2022, Pre QC No. AJPMPH-22-62811 (PQ); Reviewed: 19-Apr-2022, QC No. AJPMPH-22-62811; Revised: 25-Apr-2022, Manuscript No. AJPMPH-22-62811 (R); Published: 02-May-2022

Description

Malaria is a potentially fatal blood disease spread by the female Anopheles mosquito. When a female Anopheles mosquito bites an infected person, it contracts the Plasmodium parasite, which causes malaria. The virus spreads through the mosquito’s system and into its salivary glands. When a mosquito feeds on a person, he becomes infected. Malaria is classified into two types: Benign and malignant.

Malaria is characterized by bouts of extremely high fever and excessive sweating, followed by bouts of extreme coldness to the point of shivering. Malignant malaria starts with symptoms that are very similar to benign malaria and progresses to breathing complications, liver failure, and shock. It can also harm the brain and central nervous system of the body, resulting in death. When a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, the plasmodium parasites enter the person’s bloodstream and travel to the liver, where they multiply. They then re-enter the person’s bloodstream and infiltrate red blood cells. They continue to multiply in red blood cells. After 48 to 72 hours, the red blood cells degrade and release more parasites into the person’s bloodstream. The person then begins to experience malaria symptoms such as chills, high fever, headache, and shivering in cycles. The procedure is repeated in a cyclical fashion.

Each cycle is worse than the one before it. Anemia (lack of red blood cells) develops as the parasites attack more and more red blood cells. Because of the damage to the red blood cells, less oxygen reaches the person’s brain, affecting the functioning of the other organs in the body.

Symptoms of malaria

Malaria symptoms include: chills/shivering followed by sweating/high fever, fatigue, palpitations, nausea, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, enlarged spleen, back pain, dry cough, and diarrhoea.

Diagnosis: Malaria can be diagnosed using both microscopic and non-microscopic methods. The blood smear (microscopic) test is widely regarded as the gold standard for detecting and diagnosing malaria. A drop of the patient’s blood is spread out on a microscope slide that has been stained to highlight the parasites. At any given time, the number of malarial parasites in the blood varies. As a result, specimens can be collected over 2 or 3 days at 8 to 12 hour intervals to detect parasites. Rapid Diagnostic Test, molecular test, antibody test, and susceptibility test are examples of non-microscopic tests.

Complications of malaria

Malignant malaria can cause complications such as impaired brain or spinal cord function, seizures, and loss of consciousness in rare cases.

Treatment for malaria

Malaria treatment is determined by the type and severity of infection, as well as the affected person’s overall health. You will be treated at home if you have benign malaria. The doctor will prescribe anti- malarial medications and advise you on the diet you should follow, as well as plenty of rest. If you have the malignant form of malaria, you will be hospitalized and monitored. If a specific antimalarial medication does not work for you, your doctor may try a variety of medications during the course of treatment.

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