What is Malaria?
Malaria is an acute flu-like illness caused by one of four species of parasite of the genus Plasmodium: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae. Infection with P. falciparum can be fatal. Infection with P. vivax and P. ovale, while not fatal, can remain dormant in the liver for many months, thus delaying symptoms for several months or causing relapses of malaria infection.
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Four kinds of malaria parasites can infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Infection with P. falciparum, if not promptly treated, may lead to death. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented. About 1,300 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. The vast majority of cases in the United States are in travelers and immigrants returning from malaria-risk areas, many from sub-Saharan Africa and South Aisa. The World Health Organization estimates that each year 300-500 million cases of malaria occur and more than 1 million people die of malaria, especially in developing countries. Most deaths occur in young children. For example, in Africa
Malaria is a blood parasite that is spread by mosquitos in some areas of the world. Malaria infection can be prevented by taking steps to reduce exposure to mosquitos and by taking anti-malaria medications. These medications are not without side effects, so you and your itinerary need to be analyzed individually at our clinic. For example, travel to major cities that are free of malaria may not call for taking these medications whereas travel to more rural destinations in the same country would require this treatment. These details can be explored further during your personalized consultation at our clinic.
Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted from human to human by the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. In 1880, scientists discovered that a one-cell parasite called plasmodium causes malaria. There are four forms of plasmodium that affect humans however Plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous and the most common in African countries south of the Sahara including Zambia. Though once widespread, malaria has been eliminated from many countries with temperate climates. Today malaria is found throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and causes more than 300 million acute illnesses and at least one million deaths annually. Ninety percent of these deaths occur in Africa south of the Sahara and constitute 10% of the continent’s overall disease burden. Malaria is the leading cause of deaths in young children and pregnant women are the main adult group at risk in endemic areas of the world.
