Plasmodium and malaria questions and answers for nursing students
This document provides answers to commonly asked questions about Plasmodium and malaria as Frequently asked questions about Plasmodium, malaria, disease, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, complications with pregnancy, prevention, and eradication.
What is malaria?
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a plasmodium parasite and transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito.
What are the indication/ symptoms of malaria?
It is a flu-like illness that begins with a high fever and chills. Other symptoms include vomiting and nausea, headaches, body aches, weakness and fatigue.
For how long is a patient contagious to others after symptoms appear?
A patient becomes infected with mosquitoes almost immediately after the onset of symptoms of P. vivax and P. oval infection. With P. falciparum infection, a patient becomes infected only after several days, once mature gametocytes enter the peripheral blood. Anti-malarial drugs such as chloroquine and mefloquine infection, mature p. Falciparm does not remove gametocytes from the bloodstream, even in successfully treated cases the patient is left healthy but contagious for several weeks until the gametocytes die naturally.
How soon will a person get sick after being bitten by an infected mosquito?
In most cases, symptoms begin in 10 days to 4 weeks after infection; however a person may feel ill from seven days to a year later. Two types of malaria, P. vivax and P. ovale, can occur again and this is known as recurrent malaria. With P. vivax and P. ovale infections, some parasites remain dormant in the liver for several months to about four years after the person is bitten by an infected mosquito. The “relapse” occurs when these parasites come out of hibernation and begin to invade the red blood cells, making the person sick.
How long is the incubation / symptom onset period?
The incubation period in malaria is the time that elapses from when infection occurs until the first clinical signs appear. The incubation period is normally 9 to 30 days, depending on the Plasmodium species (shorter for P. falciparum, longer for P. malariae). For some strains of P. vivax incubation period can be 8 to 9 months. A P. falciparum infection should always be suspected if fever develops, with or without other symptoms, at any time between one week after the first possible exposure and two months (or even longer) after the last possible exposure.
What tests are available to check for malaria?
Malaria can be diagnosed right away using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or microscopy (laboratory blood test). This involves examining a drop of the patient's blood for the presence of the malaria parasite.
How can I know if I have malaria?
At the onset of the illness, fever, chills, headaches, malaise, muscle aches, nausea, sweating, and vomiting are experienced. However, malaria can quickly turn into a serious and life-threatening disease. If you are ill and there is any reason to suspect that you have malaria (see potential malaria suspicion), you should see a doctor or healthcare provider urgently.
What are the treatment for malaria?
Treatment of malaria involves the use of prescription antimalarial drugs, primarily artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). The type of diet and medication will depend on many factors, including age, type of malaria, and cases of pregnancy. Consult with your doctor for specific recommendations for each case.
Is there vaccine available against malaria?
Currently, there is no commercial vaccine against malaria. Although many vaccines are currently being researched and developed around the world, precautions must be taken to prevent mosquito bites and malaria.
Should babies and children be given antimalarial drugs?
Yes, can be given but not all types of malaria. Children of any age can get malaria and any child traveling in the general malaria area should use recommended preventive measures, which often include anti-malaria medications. However, some antimalarial drugs are not suitable for children and the doses are based on the child's weight. Consult your doctor or healthcare provider before giving your child any antimalarial medicine
Why treatment is important for pregnant women?
Malaria is life threatening or dangerous for pregnant women. Pregnancy often weakens immune system, and the malaria parasite can be passed from mother to fetus. The risk of contracting malaria during pregnancy increases considerably: obstetric anemia, spontaneous abortion, premature delivery or rebirth, decreased interstitial growth and low birth weight. Therefore, it is important for pregnant women to seek early medical treatment to protect themselves and their unborn children.
How can malaria be prevented?
Malaria is mosquito born disease transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. It is important to protect yourself from these mosquitoes, both indoors and outdoors, because even a single mosquito bite can lead to malaria. Before going out, using personal repellants like Good knight, Fabric Roll-On (or Good Knight Cool Gel / Patches, etc.) can prevent mosquito bites. When you are at home, closing doors and windows at night and using household repellants like Good knight Activ + and Good knight Fast card will keep mosquitoes away. People should also sleep under mosquito nets for added protection.
How to prevent malaria?
How to prevent malaria Malaria can be prevented using the ABCD approach to prevention: Awareness - Look around you to see if you are at risk for malaria. Bite Prevention: Avoid mosquito bites by using indoor and outdoor insect repellants, wearing covered clothing, and using a mosquito net. Try Good knight Activ + at home to keep pesky mosquitoes away. When you go out, be sure to apply only 4 points of Good knight Fabric Roll-On to your clothing to stay protected from mosquitoes for up to 8 hours. Check breeding areas: Eliminate standing water in your vicinity and don't allow water to stagnate in tires, pots, and outdoor coolers. Diagnosis: Seek immediate medical help if you notice symptoms of malaria. With the correct diagnosis and treatment, malaria is a highly preventable and treatable disease. In addition to supportive care, appropriate antibiotics are given to treat malaria.
Where can you get more information about malaria?
The websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and India's National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) provide up-to-date information on malaria, its symptoms and treatment. Consult your local doctor, health clinic, or healthcare providers if you have a high fever and chills.
How Malaria Spreads ?
Only female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasites and, interestingly, this mosquito mainly bites at night (between dusk and dawn). When a mosquito bites a person who is already infected with malaria, it sucks the blood of the person that is loaded with the parasites that cause the disease. When the same mosquito bites another person/individual, it injects the parasites into that person/individual. Malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplantation, sharing of needles / syringes contaminated with infected blood, and from a mother to her fetus before or during delivery.
Is malaria a contagious/communicable disease?
Malaria is not a contagious disease because Malaria is not spread/occur from person to person like a cold or the flu. It is not transmitted sexually and casual contact with people infected with malaria cannot infect a person.
Who is at risk for malaria?
Anyone can get malaria. Most cases occur in people living in countries with malaria transmission. People from countries without malaria can become infected when they travel to countries with malaria or through a blood transfusion (although this is very rare). Also, an infected mother can transmit malaria to her baby before or during delivery.
Who is most at risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from malaria?
Plasmodium falciparum is a type of malaria that causes frequent and severe fatal malaria; This parasite is very common in many countries of South Africa in the Sahara Desert. People who are highly exposed to mosquito bites infected with P. falciparum are at higher risk of dying from malaria. People who have little or no immunity to malaria, such as young children and pregnant women or travelers coming from areas without malaria, are more likely to become seriously ill and die. Poor people living in rural areas who do not have access to health care are at higher risk of contracting this disease. As a result of all these factors, it is estimated that 90% of malaria deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa; majority of deaths occur in children under 5 years of age.
Which parts of the body does it usually infect ?
Mosquitoes inoculate/inject sporozoite stage parasites into the skin capillaries of the human host. From there, the parasites travel through the bloodstream to the liver, where liver cells develop and multiply. Merozoite-stage parasites then enter the bloodstream again and reproduce more. From there, other internal organs, such as the brain are affected, as groups of heavily infected erythrocytes block capillary blood flow.
Can mosquitoes transmit HIV/AIDS?
This is a common fear, but there is no evidence to support the theory that mosquitoes can transmit HIV. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and others have yielded no evidence that mosquitoes, or any other blood-sucking insect, can transmit HIV. The way in which a mosquito bites affects the possibility that the insect transmits HIV are (1) When feeding, a mosquito injects a small amount of saliva into the wound, which acts as a lubricant that allows a gentle feeding (2) No blood is injected into the person being fed (3) After feeding is complete, the mosquito generally rests and digests the food before feeding again. And any blood that might still be in the mosquito's mouth parts would have been dried or "cleaned" by the next feed. However, co-infection with HIV / AIDS is possible in a patient.
Why is malaria very common in Africa?
In sub-Saharan Africa, the major mosquito of malaria, Anopheles gambia, transmits malaria very efficiently. The most common malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, causes serious and potentially fatal disease. Lack of resources and money and political instability can hinder the sustainability of malaria control programs. Malaria parasites are becoming more resistant to antimicrobials, and resistance to pesticides in vectors is increasing, posing another problem for malaria control.
Is malaria airborne?
Not in the specific sense of the word. However, malaria-carrying female Anopheles mosquitoes fly their eggs to reach blood sources for food and growth. These mosquitoes are usually found no more than two or three kilometers from their breeding grounds, but strong weather winds can carry them up to 30 kilometers from their breeding grounds. Sometimes malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes near airports in non-local areas, which were transmitted to planes coming from the local zone.
Does malaria affect animals?
Some animals, e.g. Birds, rats, Samaritans, can be infected with different types of malaria, which are different from the humans mentioned above. Apes and humans may share certain types of malaria (e.g., P. malaria), but otherwise animal malaria does not usually affect humans.
Is quarantine required or permitted as a precaution?
No.
Is it necessary for the patient to be isolated?
No.
Is vaccination required for international travel?
No vaccine is available yet
Where is malaria office at Haldwani?
In Uttarakhand there are 13 districts, of which 4 Districts Haridwar, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital are in flat or plains and the rest of the nine districts are at high altitude. Malaria is prevalent only in flat or plain districts. All UHC’s (9 UHCs in Hardwar and Haldwani; 12 UHCs in Dehradun and Roorkee) have been established and are working. So you can contact your nearest UHC (Urban Health Center)
Which scientist got the Nobel Prize for his discovery about malaria?
Nobel Prize 1902: Ronald Ross's long, valuable reading on the discovery of malaria-causing malaria in malaria mosquitoes in the late 1890s and the understanding that the Anopheles mosquito caused malaria. (Ross himself seems to have fallen ill with malaria on April 25, 1896, but this is not the reason for setting a date for World Malaria Day on April 25 each year.) Nobel Prize 1907: Alphonse Lauren published his first great work on the malaria parasite in 1884 and won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the parasite in human blood. Nobel Prize 1948: Paul Muller discovers its use in controlling diseases such as DDT and malaria. Nobel Prize 2015: Yu Tu was able to extract a substance called artemisinin, which inhibits the malaria parasite. Artemisinin-based drugs have led to the survival and improvement of health of millions.
Read about: Malaria control programme
Read about: Malaria No More (MNM) India
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