Infectious Disease | The Cure and Prevention of Diseases

Geographic distribution of malaria

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Malaria is a disease of poverty; it is a disease of the developing, underdeveloped and developing worlds. Although cases of the disease are sometimes noted in the US and EU, these are mostly transferred from tropical countries.

The reason is tragic: although people in the poorer countries know as much as anyone else about malaria, and of how it could be prevented, they do not have the wherewithal to prevent malaria due to lack of money and healthy living facilities. Malaria is a disease of the swamps; of mosquito bites, of sleeping in the open air and working in marshy fields. These things, swamps, dirty water, sleeping outside and mosquitos are the lot of poor people in undeveloped countries. They do not have the money to clean swamps, carry on expensive pest control measures or build a proper, pest free house to live in. They have to work in fields, in swampy conditions, and by a quirk of nature, most of the poorer people of the world happen to live in the tropics, where heavy rainfall, humid and hot weather and swamps abound, all breeding grounds of mosquitos. This is the basic reason why malaria is such a prevalent cause of death in poor countries, especially in sub-saharan Africa where treatment and prevention facilities are next to nil.

Over 250 million people suffer from malaria every year, of which about one in twenty five die. Of these large numbers, almost 80 to 90 percent are from sub-saharan Africa alone. The rest of the deaths are evenly distributed among countries of central America and Asia. Malaria is also a disease of rural areas; studies have shown that the majority of cases of malaria occur in villages – where, of course, there are more malaria carrier mosquitos.

Malaria is both a preventable and a curable disease; quinine, an extract of the cinchona plant, is a complete cure for malaria. It is tragic that poverty lets people neither prevent this disease, nor cure it with the life saving but expensive quinine.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Infectious disease, Mosquito

The rising human cost of malaria

As the challenge on preventing malaria becomes more acute, many countries and organizations are increasing the annual funds for malaria research and vaccine development. As per one estimate, funding for malaria research increased from $5 million in 1997 to $800 million in 2007. Apart from global agencies like WHO and UNICEF, not-for-profit organization likes the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation are focusing heavily on malaria preventives.
Malaria inflicts a huge economic cost on the population of the countries who are suffering. The disease greatly reduces the immunity of the affected people, making them susceptible to other ailments as well in the future. Continued vulnerability also leads to the inability of people to be productive for a longer period of time. Also, affected children are unable to continue their education resulting in a high number of school absenteeism. Eventually, they become unfit for employment or fit enough to lead a normal social life in the future.
The effort to prevent, cure and control malaria is a huge cost on public health spending. In many countries, malaria accounts for almost 40% of the total public health spending. There is the recurring cost of medicines, vaccinations and setting-up of healthcare centers. Many sub-Saharan countries lose almost 1.3% GDP annually due to malaria. This figure, compounded annually over many years, is a huge economic setback. A huge healthcare cost prevents the economic and social planners of countries from providing funds to other sectors which may be equally critical to development.
Apart from the expense of continuous funding, research and development and the economic cost to any country, there is a huge human cost. When livelihood is disrupted, children are sick and unable to attend schools, and people are unable to fight off the disease, the lives of millions are untimely disrupted. This puts any society and country far behind in the quest for progress, development, peace and well-being of its citizens.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Infectious disease

Preventing Malaria

Malaria is a serious disease that affects millions of people each year with the worst outcome of the disease being death. It is widespread throughout tropical areas due to the mosquitos that carry it. Globally, malaria is a significant issue in many countries and continues to be a serious health problem. The most common areas of the world that malaria is afflicting is becoming an outbreak include, North Africa and the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Unfortunately, those afflicted with the disease failed to ingest their malaria prophylaxis medicines. These individuals typically constitute visitors of these prone areas. Approximately 70 percent of these visitors contract Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

There are four preventatives measures to ensure malaria is not incubated which include, awareness of risk, bite avoidance, chemoprophylaxis and diagnosis. The risk of being bitten by a mosquito carrying the disease varies by region. If you are aware you will be travelling in a tropical area, it is best to bring health medicine with you and take it to prevent the disease in the case you are bit.

Also, to avoid mosquito bites it is important to sleep in rooms containing gauze over the windows and doors which keep all bugs out. There should be no open areas in the room. Also, acquiring a room with air conditioning is a tremendous advantage. Additionally, prior to entering spray the entire room with insecticides to kill any mosquitos that entered during the day. Long sleeves and pants of light color should be worn outside after sunset.

Taking chemoprophylaxis or preventative medicines is essential to prevent malaria. Keep in mind, health medicines that were effective five years ago may no longer be useful. There are currently three primary medicines, Chloroquine, Doxycycline and Mefloquine. The final measure is prompt diagnosis in the early stages if an infection does occur. Although this is reactive as opposed to the other three proactive tips, it is vital in the case that an infection ensues.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Health, Infectious disease, Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum

An Overview of Malaria

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Malaria is a transmittable blood disease afflicting 350-500 million people each year across the globe. It is caused by a small bite from the female Anopheles mosquito that transfers the parasite into the bloodstream of the host. Common symptoms of the disease include aches and joint pain, high fever, vomiting, shaking, chills and even anemia. If untreated or not diagnosed at the early stages, malaria can lead to severe medical complications and eventually death. As of 2010, there are no vaccines against the disease but there is rigorous testing being conducted due to the widespread infection.

The most effective method of treatment against the disease is prevention. Equatorial countries tend to have a higher risk due to the tropical and subtropical climate. North America and Western Europe do not pose any threats of areas where malaria is being spread. Prior to travelling to one of the prone areas, it is best to consult a physician for preventative measures and health medicine. Mosquitos become immune to medications quickly so the doctor may not prescribe any oral medications. While in the country, insect repellant and netting are recommended.

The treatment of the disease in its early stages can be accomplished at home. Hospitalization is only required for those that did not acquire treatment in time. Minor cases of malaria only warrant oral medications but continuous fluid must be fed into the body to ensure no dehydration ensues. The most common treatment drugs are Quinine sulphate and doxycycline which are taken for one week. The physician will provide explicit instructions on how to take the medicine and dosage information. These are usually administered in small doses as too much can cause medical complications.

Malaria is a hidden killer in that it appears to be the flu while spreading quickly through the body. If traveling to or coming from high risk areas and flu-like symptoms are being experienced, seek a medical doctor immediately. Let them know you have been in a malaria prone area. Early detection is the key to proper diagnosis and treatment.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Health, Infectious disease, Malaria

Treatments for Malaria

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Once contracted, malaria can be cured if caught in the early stages of incubation. The type of drugs used and the length of treatment can vary greatly. This depends on four specific factors which include, your age, the type of malaria parasite in your body, whether you are pregnant and the severity of your symptoms.

The most common drugs used to treat the disease include, Hydroxychloroquine, a combination of atovaquone and proguanil, mefloquine and chloroquine. One of the biggest issues with the malaria parasite is its adaptation and resistance to drugs. As a result, new drug formulations are constantly being tested and administered. In some risk areas, a high resistance to chloroquine has developed rendered the drug ineffective. Severe cases of malaria result in hospitalization with drugs being administered intravenously.

In the past, chloroquine was the most commonly used drug due to its inexpensive cost and effectiveness. With new strains developing a resistance, a new drug will have to take its place. Some other treatments include sponging, symptomatic relief and even aspirin can help eliminate some of the symptoms.

There are a few alternative treatments that can be administered in addition to medicine that have proven to be effective home remedies. These include oral rehydration, cinchona homeopathic prevention, treatment and relapse and malaria officinalis homeopathic prevention. Others comprise the use of the Artemisia annua herb and numerous homeopathic remedies. One important note, prior to engaging in any alternative or complimentary treatments or stopping medication, it is best to consult with your physician. Some alternative treatments can prove to be useful, however some can be dangerous. Consultation is the best path to take when unsure.

Despite the numerous treatments available, approximately 1 million people die of the disease each year because they did not get to a doctor in time or it was mistaken for the flu. Luckily scientists are diligently looking for a vaccine for the ultimate prevention of malaria.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health Tagged With: Health, Homeopathy, Infectious disease, Malaria

How Malaria is Effecting Southern Africa

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Malaria is having a devastating effect on the inhabitants of Southern Africa. There are many different individuals contributing to the treatment efforts including medical practitioners, researchers, professors and even pharmacists. There have been many scary situations for the people of this region when outbreaks of the disease occur.

In urban areas with over 1 million residents, insecticides are sprayed by local authorities in areas with standing water and puddles. These are common breeding grounds for mosquitos. There is a strong correlation between altitude and malaria infection. Therefore, those cities at 1,000 meters above sea level have a significantly lower incidence of malaria outbreaks.

In rural areas below 1000 meters, insecticide spray is conducted by the central government. When the government of these countries runs out of money, spraying is reduced at the beginning of the rainy season resulting in a considerable increase in mortality. The use of pre-treated bed nets is becoming a much more accepted and successful practice.

Another increasing problem is”commuter malaria.” This occurs when mosquitos travel from a malarious region to a non-malarious area and infect the inhabitants. Mosquitos are unintentionally transported on bicycles, trains, boats trailers, automobiles and buses.

In Zimbabwe, it is national policy to not supply residents with chemoprophylaxis, a common malaria treatment. This is because the inhabitants are confronted with this issue each day and have developed immunity to the drug. However, those living at higher elevations traveling to lower lying areas should take preventative measures. In other areas of Southern Africa, a resistance to chloroquin has developed. This is a major issue for these areas because chloroquin is one of the most popular, inexpensive and effective medicinal treatments for malaria.

As a result of these resistances to specific medicines, presumptive diagnosis is on the rise. This means when an individual does not feel well in a malarious area, they are automatically given full doses of health medicines. Therefore, diagnosis is the key factor in containing malaria in the Southern African region.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Infectious disease, Malaria, Southern Africa, Zimbabwe

Antibiotic Testing that May Prevent Malaria

Thousands of variants of malaria vaccinations have been and are currently being tested on mice. In August 2010, it was found that if mice are given an antibiotic while being infected with the disease, the parasite does not appear in their blood. The study also resulted in a long-term immunity to the disease with ensuing infections.

Dr. Steffen Borrmann of the Department of Infectious Diseases headed a team that made the discovery. As a result of this breakthrough, scientists believe an affordable and safe prophylaxis containing antibiotics can be administered to fight malaria in high risk areas without the use of needles.

The study began with mice being injected with Sporozoites directly into their bloodstream. While this occurred, mice were given the clindamycin or azithromycin antibiotics. The common path for a Sporozoite is to head straight to the liver where it replicates and infects red blood cells. The treatment prevented red cells in the blood from being infected. Common symptoms of fever and eventually death did not occur. Injections continued in the mice after 40 days and four months with the same result. Finally, at the six month mark researchers injected the disease without the antibiotic and the mice had protection from malaria.

This raises the question as to the transferability to humans. The results found 30 percent of the mice had complete protection while 70 percent of mice were still infected, but had a weakened parasite that did not affect the brain which is highly favorable. The antibiotics used are affordable for the average consumer with few side effects. The primary motivation of the study was to give malaria-stricken regions a chance to administer a simple, natural vaccination.

With each new breakthrough is another step toward finding a natural vaccination for malaria. These antibiotics appear to work well, are affordable and continue to be effective over a long period of time. Hopefully these will be approved and administered to high-risk areas.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Infection, Infectious disease, Malaria

Diagnosing Malaria

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When a doctor is in the process of diagnosing malaria, they usually inquire about medical history, symptoms, travel history in specific regions and any medications currently being taken. During the same visit, the doctor will perform a physical examination. The test to determine a malarial infection is called a blood smear. Medical conditions that are considered by the physician prior to diagnosing malaria include meningitis, yellow fever, hepatitis, influenza and the common cold.

All these factors are considered prior to making a diagnosis. The blood smear is usually the determining factor to whether the patient has malaria. To be accurate, the blood test must identify malaria parasites or associated components. The blood smear examines a drop of blood on a microscope slide which is spread out. Prior to the examination, the blood specimen is stained to help the parasites be more easily identifiable. There are other blood tests used to identify the malaria parasite but the blood smear is the most widely utilized.

In areas where malaria is sparse, it can be a difficult diagnosis since many other conditions share the symptoms with malaria. In addition to those listed above are typhoid fever, dengue fever, stomach flu, an infection in the blood and acute schistosomiasis which is a disease caused by worms. For this reason, malaria can be a tricky infection to diagnose especially for those traveling from a high risk area to low risk.

Malaria can appear to be many other ailments which is why the blood smear is a vital aspect of correct diagnosis. In third world countries, this technology may not be as accurate so physicians often give their patients malaria medication as a precautionary measure. As technology improves, hopefully malaria will be more quickly and effectively identified which would result in a lower mortality rate in third world countries.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Diagnosing Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Health, Infectious disease, Malaria

A Potential Cure for Malaria

In July 2010 researchers made a breakthrough toward curing one of the world’s deadliest diseases. They believe malaria can be cured through sea worms, sponges and various other underwater organisms. Debopam Chakrabarti, a scientist at the University of Florida, has examined over 2,500 deep sea specimens on the coast of Florida which were collected from a maximum depth of 3,000 feet. They believe these creatures could hold the long-awaited key to drugs that fight malaria.

The initial tests discovered 300 samples that kill the malaria parasite. One major concern of the researchers is that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may eliminate these species that could hold properties for drugs that eradicate many diseases, maybe even cancer.

Currently, there is no FDA-approved vaccine for any form of malaria. Also, people in high-risk countries are developing a resistance to many of the current drugs available to treat the disease. The researchers acquired a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for this investigation. The testing of the various marine creatures evaluates growth properties of the collected samples for a parasite in the red blood cells of a human.

The idea of deep sea marine life providing ingredients for drug items stems from many previous studies around the world. In May 2010, the American Society of Clinical Oncology reported that the drug eribulin, which derives from sea sponges, effectively helped patients with colon, breast and urinary cancer.

The next step is to find two or three molecules from the 300 effective samples and synthesize them in the lab. This can potentially then be applied in the future to a new formulation for a drug item. If a cure is found, it could be one of the greatest medical discoveries of all time. Although testing of marine animals will continue, the 300 samples look extremely promising for reaching their goal of finding a vaccine for malaria.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Diagnosing Tagged With: Gulf of Mexico, Infectious disease, Malaria, University of Florida

Alcohol Addiction and the Body

Malaria is a disease that is spread through mosquitoes, and is more widespread in tropical areas such as South America. The disease enters the body when the individual is bitten by a mosquito and medical attention must be sought immediately. Symptoms of the disease include fever, shivering, vomiting, retinal damage and convulsions, although it is not usually fatal. With a compromised immune system however, the effects of the disease will be more devastating.

This disease is transmitted to the host from a female mosquito. When this insect bites a person it takes a small amount of blood from the host. If the person has malaria, the disease moves through insect’s system. If the mosquito bites someone else the disease will be in the saliva which is injected into the individual. This fluid is tainted by the malaria virus and quickly spreads throughout the person’s body. Symptoms of this disease starts to affect the individual within several hours of transmission, and the person starts to feel very cold, get chills throughout their body and sweats profusely. Once these symptoms are felt following a mosquito bite, it is necessary to seek medical attention immediately.

The long term effects of this disease, if not treated immediately, can be as devastating as other illnesses, including something like alcoholism or drug dependency. Children especially are at a high risk of developing long lasting problems as a result of the disease. This condition can cause pressure to build up in the skull. This pressure causes the brain to swell and will affect vision as well as brain function. If this pressure is not released quickly, brain damage can strike the individual. The amount of brain damage depends on the health of the person. For example, a recovering alcoholic who is in alcohol rehab will be more susceptible to brain damage due to the fact that they have a compromised immune system.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Infectious disease, Malaria, Mosquito