Plasmodium Falciparum | The Cure and Prevention of Diseases

Malaria Diagnosis and Treatment

Malaria disease occurs when an individual is bitten by a mosquito carrying the plasmodium parasite. Malaria is currently the reason for anywhere from 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths each year. The majority of these cases occur in children.

An individual is diagnosed with Malaria after experiencing the three phases of symptoms the cold phase, the hot phase, and the fever phase. First the physician would conduct a risk assessment. An individual who had traveled to an area at high risk for malaria would be a prime candidate. 80% of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa will present with fevers and will immediately be considered malaria infected and will be treated for the illness until further tests can be conducted.

Treatment for malaria varies from individual to individual. Each infected party is different. First it depends on the pasmodium parasite which infected the patient, whether the individual is a child, an adult, or even a pregnant female), which drug the parasite is susceptible to. Typically it is determined which drug will be effective based on the area and environmental conditions of the patient and where they might have contracted the infection. Medications for malaria are doled out based on location and environmental factors. Malaria types vary worldwide.

Individuals who have been infected with P. falciparum could potentially lose their life. This is often times due to slowed treatment. It is important for individuals to be treated immediately for symptoms of malaria. Drug treatment isn’t simple for the worst cases of the illness. A patient would need to consult with a physician who is working in the area in which the malaria symptoms initiated.

Malaria is preventable utilizing protective measures such as insect repellent containing DEET, mosquito nets while individuals sleep, shutting all windows and doors during sleep, and additionally taking antimalarial medications pre travel to areas prone to the illness.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Diagnosing, Health Tagged With: Africa, Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Sub-Saharan Africa

Signs And Symptoms Of Malaria

Malaria is a common problem in the tropical countries. There are various problems that can be associated with the disease. There are many people who even die because of the disease. The disease that is causes by the Plasmodium Falciparum organism is the one that is very severe and can cause death in many cases.

The actual signs and the symptoms of the disease will vary from one person to another and will also vary depending on the type of the parasite that is infecting the person. The spectrum of infection can also vary depending on the kind of malaria that is affecting the person.

There are some common signs of Malaria that will help the clinician to be able to suspect as well as diagnose Malaria. Though confirmatory tests are usually done to test for the presence of Malaria, there are some instances where the facilities may not be available and in these situations, the treatment of malaria is started.

The presence of nausea and vomiting with headache are the common signs that are related to the presence of Malaria. Many people have an increase in the temperature. Though all these signs and the symptoms of the disease point to the fact that the person may have Malaria, the confirmatory test will be the best method of identifying the disease before treating the person for Malaria.

Any person who has recently visited a place that has a high incidence of Malaria should immediately be suspected to have the disease, if they present with the signs and symptoms that have been mentioned here. Since many of the signs and the symptoms of the disease are not very severe, many people tend to take it lightly initially. This causes the disease to worsen leading to severe problems. The signs and symptoms are mainly used in the clinical diagnosis of the disease.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Infection, Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum

Types Of Malaria

There are four common kinds of malaria that are seen in people. These kinds of malaria can affect any person, but there are some people who are at a high risk of being affected by the disease. The people who can be commonly affected are those who live in areas where there is a high incidence of malaria.

The 4 common kinds of malaria that are seen include the Plasmodium Vivax type of Malaria. This is commonly known as the P.v. type. The other type of Malaria is the Plasmodium Malariae. This type is also known as P.m. The plasmodium ovale and the Plasmodium falciparum are the two other kinds of malaria that are also commonly seen. These are known as P.o and P.f respectively.

The type of Malaria is mainly classified on the basis of the organism that causes the disease. For example the Plasmodium vivax type of Malaria is caused by the P. vivax organism. Though the types of Malaria may vary depending on the organism that causes the disease, there is another difference between the different types of Malaria. This difference is based on the various signs and symptoms that are associated with the Malaria.

The Plasmodium Falciparum is the kind of malaria that can be fatal in many instances. This is because this kind of malaria causes a lot of severe complications. The immediate treatment of the Malaria is very important. This is because if there is a delay in the treatment of Malaria, then it can even lead to other complications that may even cause death. Other than the treatment of the Malaria, the prevention of Malaria is very important as the disease can be prevented very easily by making sure that simple measures are undertaken. These measures include the use of mosquito repellents and mosquito nets.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium Vivax

Why Should Malaria Be Identified Early

Malaria is a common disease in the tropical regions. There are many people who live in certain areas who seem to suffer from Malaria many times. There are various reasons for the person to be affected by Malaria. Though the bite from the mosquito is the reason behind the person from being affected by the disease, the person is not affected if adequate protective and preventive measures are taken. In case of the lack of methods to prevent mosquito bites, especially in areas where the disease is endemic, then the person is affected by the disease soon.

Malaria is also a deadly disease if it is not treated. This makes it very important for the person to treat the disease very early. The disease causes the Plasmodium parasite to multiply inside the body. This parasite enters the body when the mosquito bites the person. As soon as the bite is over the parasite enters the blood stream and after it multiplies to a certain extent, it can lead to a very severe kind of the disease.

The Plasmodium Falciparum is the most severe form of the disease. If the disease is not treated early enough, the numbers of parasites that are present in the body keep increasing. This causes more symptoms and the severity of the existing symptoms may also become worse. In this situation, the person needs to be treated very early at least after the severity of the signs. If the condition is even ignored at this time because of factors including ignorance, then the person will be affected by a coma. If the person enters the coma situation, then it can lead to various complications that could even lead to death. Identification of the disease and treatment as early as possible is very important for the person to prevent suffering from these consequences.

Filed Under: Diagnosing, Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Malaria, Plasmodium, Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria Signs That Varies With The Type Of Malaria

Malaria is a disease that has more than one causative agent. Though the Malaria as a disease is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, there are four different kinds of Malaria parasites. Each of these parasites has a classical sign that can affect a person.

Once the person is able to differentiate the disease, then it will be very helpful .The reason for this is that one of the types is very severe and can lead to death if it is not treated properly. Early identification of the type of Malaria will help in making sure that the person is able to take adequate steps to prevent further complications. This can even save the life of the person.

The Plasmodium Falciparum is the type of Malaria that is very common in certain areas. This is also the most severe type of Malaria. In this type, the Malaria parasite causes the blood cells in the body to break down. This causes the person to have a severe downward spiral in the health status. As the condition of the person worsens, the person has a great risk of dying. The person may have the kidneys failing first. This can later lead to coma and finally death. This condition should be treated as an emergency.

The plasmodium ovale if the type that can lead to anemia, but it is not very severe and once it is treated, the person recovers very fast.
The plasmodium vivax is the other kind of parasite that can lead to the spleen being ruptured. This too is a serious condition and the treatment should be started as early as possible.

The plasmodium malariae is another infection that is not very severe and does not cause any risk to the life of the affected person, but it can prolong and takes a long time for the recovery of the affected person.

Filed Under: Health, Preventive Measures Tagged With: Plasmodium, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium Vivax

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

Common Symptoms of Malaria

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Malaria accounts for approximately 1 million deaths each year globally. These usually occur in the poorer countries where the citizens are exposed to unhygienic living conditions and do not have access to medicine. If you acquire the right treatment, the disease can be prevented and treated.
There are many symptoms of malaria that should not be ignored if you are experiencing them. The first symptoms an infected human experiences are weakness and sickness. This is followed by bouts of high fevers. If left untreated, your body temperature will drop drastically. The next symptom most individuals experience is shaking, chills and flu-like symptoms which is more noticeable during the evening hours.

The parasite in the body then causes headaches, muscle aches and extreme tiredness. These symptoms are indicative of the parasite coming out of hibernation in the body and spreading. Simultaneously, you will experience malaise and profuse sweating. Some individuals experience vomiting, diarrhea and nausea with traces of blood in their fecal matter. As the disease continues to spread, dizziness and abdominal cramps can occur. One common observation during the process is the enlargement of the spleen.

Although there are different types of malaria, the P. falciparum malaria strand shows additional symptoms of jaundice, and enlargement of the liver and an increased rate of respiration. As red blood cells are attacked by the parasite, the eyes and skin begin to develop a yellowish tint. This can also lead to anemia. Many patients also experience a loss of appetite and energy with an occasional stomach ache.

When malaria is not diagnosed during the early stages, individuals have been known to become comatose, experience kidney and liver failure, shock, seizures and have bleeding problems. These symptoms are usually cycled through every 2 to 4 days due to the parasite settling and hibernating. Once the hibernation is over, the parasite spreads quickly. This is the primary reason for such a high mortality rate. It is common to only feel the symptoms 10 days out of a full month. The parasite can remain dormant for up to 4 years after transmission.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases, Health Tagged With: Health, Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Red blood cell

Causes of Malaria

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The primary cause of malaria is an infection with the malaria parasite. Hundreds of millions of people across the globe are infected with this disease and over one million die because of it each year. Many believe they simply have the flu, cannot afford treatment or do not catch it in time which typically results in death.

Malaria parasites (Plasmodium) are microscopic organisms that initially hibernate when transferred from a mosquito. Once active, the disease spreads quickly throughout the body. There are over 100 species of Plasmodium that affect many animals including mammals, reptiles and birds. Of the 100 variants, only 4 are capable of infecting humans. These include Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae.

Plasmodium falciparum or P. falciparum is the most dangerous of the malaria parasites resulting in the highest rate of mortality and complications. This species is mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa. P. falciparum showcases a distinctive property not found in other parasites of malaria: sequestration. Within 48 hours of infection, the parasite becomes mature and changes the molecular properties of red blood cells causing them to stick to blood vessels. The result is an impediment of circulation causing organs to fail.

Plasmodium vivax or P. vivax is much less destructive than P. falciparum and only found on the Korean peninsula. When a mosquito bites a human it secrets saliva to prevent blood clotting and transfers Sporozoites into the blood. Within a half hour of infection, they reach the liver. Once in the liver, the parasites feed on hepatic cells and reproduce asexually.

The Plasmodium ovale or P. ovale parasite is similar to the previous two but much less deadly. This parasite tends to remain in isolated areas of West Africa, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Compared to the other two parasites, the only difference is P. vivax cells are larger and darker.

Finally, Plasmodium malariae or P. malariae is the least dangerous of the four infection types. The parasite is mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Amazon Basin and the Western Pacific islands.

Filed Under: Conditions and Diseases Tagged With: Malaria, Plasmodium, Plasmodium falciparum, Southeast Asia

The Incubation Period of Malaria

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The potentially deadly disease, Malaria, has an average incubation period of 10 days to a month. In rare instances, the disease can be limited to a week or even as long as a few years. There are a few factors that affect the length of incubation including the type of parasite and the preventative drug administered (if any).

When an individual is initially infected with the malaria parasite they will not initially show any symptoms. Instead, they will feel normal from seven days up to several years before any sign of the disease appears. During this time, the malaria parasite is rapidly multiplying which is the beginning of malaria symptoms and known as the malaria incubation period.

The Anopheles or female mosquito is the species that inflicts the wound and transfers the parasite to the host. The male species does not bite and transfer malaria to humans. Plasmodium falciparum has the shortest incubation period but tends to be the most common and severe of the parasites.

On the other hand, Plasmodium malaria, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale typically have a much longer incubation period but are significantly less dangerous. These three parasites have a tendency to grow in the liver and cause symptoms after the incubation period while a portion remains dormant and can become active up to 4 years following the initial infection.

Once the parasite comes out of hibernation, it begins multiplying and eventually invades the red blood cells causing the host to become sick. These sleeping variants are the specific cause of relapses commonly found with these parasite variants. The antimalarial drug, Prophylaxis, can slow the incubation rate by a few weeks or months and also prevent the disease from spreading.

Unfortunately with such long incubation periods, misdiagnosis of malaria symptoms has become common. Incubation periods of malaria vary greatly depending on the parasite and preventative medication administered. A lack of initial detection is the biggest reason for misdiagnosis of the disease.

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