Malaria

Malaria is an acute febrile illness disease caused by parasites and is transmitted through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. This disease is life treating and kills thousands every year, however, it’s curable and preventable.

Until now 5 known parasite species cause malaria in humans.

Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most threatening.

Transmission

Parasites can adapt and change through the different stages of their lives even in the human host, presenting different antigens in the different stages of life. This fact complicates the development of vaccines.

Symptoms

The physical effects of malaria occur essentially because of parasite invasion to red blood cells, producing toxins, and causing anemia, in other words, it decreases red blood cell function.

The symptoms usually appear 10–15 days after the infective mosquito bite and tend to occur in cycles (the most recognizable sign of malaria).

Treatment

Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. The types of drugs and the length of treatment will vary, depending on:

• Type of malaria parasite

• Severity of symptoms

• Age

• Pregnancy

Prevention

Vector control is the main way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission. WHO recommends insecticide-treated mosquito nets (reduce contact between mosquitoes and humans) and indoor residual spraying.

Anti-malaria drugs can also be used to prevent malaria. For travelers, malaria can be prevented through chemoprophylaxis, which suppresses the blood stage of malaria infections, thereby preventing malaria disease.

Problems?

Insecticide resistance;

Antimalarial drug resistance.

Solutions:

Vaccines - Word Health Organization recommends the use of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine as a form to prevent the inflection of P.falciparum in regions with moderate to high transmission as defined by who.

Genetically modified mosquitoes- Help Reduce Vector-Borne Disease.

References

• https://www.verywellhealth.com/malaria-signs-symptoms-and-complications-4160602

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/malaria/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351190

• https://www.jenner.ac.uk/about/resources/about-malaria

• https://www.malariavaccine.org/malaria-and-vaccines/vaccine-development/life-cycle-malaria-parasite

• https://www.malariavaccine.org/malaria-and-vaccines/rtss

• Maxmen, A. (2021). Scientists hail historic malaria vaccine approval — but point to challenges ahead. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02755-5

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