CDC - Malaria - About Malaria. The Disease. What is malaria? 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 infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented. About 1,5. 00 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 parts of the world where malaria transmission occurs, including sub- Saharan Africa and South Asia. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that in 2. Africa. Because malaria causes so much illness and death, the disease is a great drain on many national economies. Since many countries with malaria are already among the poorer nations, the disease maintains a vicious cycle of disease and poverty. Top of Page. How People Get Malaria (Transmission)How is malaria transmitted? Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken from an infected person. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood is taken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites. About 1 week later, when the mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquito's saliva and are injected into the person being bitten. Because the malaria parasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person, malaria can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria may also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery (. Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted. You cannot get malaria from casual contact with malaria- infected people, such as sitting next to someone who has malaria. Top of Page. Who Is at Risk. Who is at risk for malaria? Anyone can get malaria. Most cases occur in people who live in countries with malaria transmission. People from countries with no 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 infant before or during delivery. Who is most at risk of getting very sick and dying from malaria? Plasmodium falciparum is the type of malaria that most often causes severe and life- threatening malaria; this parasite is very common in many countries in Africa south of the Sahara desert. People who are heavily exposed to the bites of mosquitoes infected with P. People who have little or no immunity to malaria, such as young children and pregnant women or travelers coming from areas with no malaria, are more likely to become very sick and die. Poor people living in rural areas who lack access to health care are at greater risk for this disease. As a result of all these factors, an estimated 9. Africa south of the Sahara; most of these deaths occur in children under 5 years of age. Top of Page. Symptoms and Diagnosis. What are the signs and symptoms of malaria? Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu- like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. If not promptly treated, the infection can become severe and may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death.
How soon will a person feel sick after being bitten by an infected mosquito? For most people, symptoms begin 1. Two kinds of malaria, P. When these parasites come out of hibernation and begin invading red blood cells (. Malaria can very rapidly become a severe and life- threatening disease. The surest way for you and your health- care provider to know whether you have malaria is to have a diagnostic test where a drop of your blood is examined under the microscope for the presence of malaria parasites. If you are sick and there is any suspicion of malaria (for example, if you have recently traveled in a country where malaria transmission occurs), the test should be performed without delay. Top of Page. Preventing Malaria During Travel. I will be traveling outside the United States to an area with malaria. How do I find out what is the best drug to take to prevent malaria? CDC has a list of all the places in the world where malaria transmission occurs and the malaria drugs that are recommended for prevention in each place. Many effective antimalarial drugs are available. Your health- care provider and you will decide on the best drug for you, if any, based on your travel plans, medical history, age, drug allergies, pregnancy status, and other factors. To allow enough time for some of the drugs to become effective and for a pharmacy to prepare any special doses of medicine (especially doses for children and infants), you may need to visit your health- care provider 4- 6 weeks before travel. Other malaria medicines only need to be started the day before travel and so last- minute travelers can still benefit from a visit to their health- care provider before traveling. What is known about the long- term effects of drugs that are commonly used to prevent and treat malaria? In general, the drugs used to prevent and treat malaria have been shown to be well- tolerated for at least 1 year or more. Top of Page. I was born in a country where malaria is present and had malaria as a child, and then moved to the United States many years ago. Do I need to worry about getting malaria when I return home to visit my friends and relatives? Yes. Anyone who goes to a country where malaria transmission occurs should take precautions against contracting malaria. During the time that you have spent in the United States, you have lost any malaria immunity that you might have had while living in your native country. Without frequent exposure to malaria parasites, your immune system has lost its ability to fight malaria. You are now as much at risk as someone who was born in the United States (a . Please consult with your health- care provider or a travel clinic about precautions to take against malaria (preventive drugs and protection against mosquito bites) and against other diseases. Another study demonstrated how the addition of mobile HIV screening to existing testing programs in Cape Town, South Africa can be cost. In sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa still bears an inordinate share of the global. Subsaharan Africa Overview CIDA coordinates. Is it safe to buy my malaria drugs in the country where I will be traveling? Buying medications abroad has its risks. The drugs could be of poor quality because of the way they are produced. The drugs could contain contaminants or they could be counterfeit drugs and therefore may not provide you the protection you need against malaria. In addition, some medications that are sold overseas are not used anymore in the United States or were never sold here. These drugs may not be safe or their safety has never been evaluated. It would be best to purchase all the medications that you need before you leave the United States. As a precaution, note the name of the medication(s) and the name of the manufacturer(s). That way, in case of accidental loss, you can replace the drug(s) abroad at a reliable vendor. Top of Page. Isn't there a malaria vaccine? And if not, why? Attempts at producing an effective malaria vaccine and vaccine clinical trials are ongoing. The malaria parasite is a complex organism with a complicated life cycle. The parasite has the ability to evade your immune system by constantly changing its surface, so developing a vaccine against these varying surfaces is very difficult. Worm Infections Affect More in Sub-Saharan Africa Than AIDS. Millions in Africa contract malaria. In addition, scientists do not yet totally understand the complex immune responses that protect humans against malaria. However, many scientists all over the world are working on developing an effective vaccine. Because other methods of fighting malaria, including drugs, insecticides, and insecticide- treated bed nets, have not succeeded in eliminating the disease, the search for a vaccine is considered to be one of the most important research projects in public health. Top of Page. Malaria and Infants and Children. Should infants and children be given antimalarial drugs? Yes, but not all types of malaria drugs. Children of any age can get malaria and any child traveling to an area where malaria transmission occurs should use the recommended prevention measures, which often include an antimalarial drug. However, some antimalarial drugs are not suitable for children. Doses are based on the child's weight. Top of Page. Pregnancy, Preconception, and Breastfeeding. I live in the United States, am 4 months pregnant, and want to take a 2- week trip to a country where malaria transmission occurs. Is it safe to do so? CDC advises women who are pregnant or likely to become pregnant not to travel to areas where malaria transmission occurs, if possible. Malaria in pregnant women can be more severe than in women who are not pregnant. Malaria can increase the risk for serious pregnancy problems, including prematurity, miscarriage, and stillbirth. If travel to a malarious area cannot be postponed, use of an effective chemoprophylaxis regimen is essential. However, no preventive drugs are completely effective. Please consider these risks (and other health risks as well) and discuss them with your health- care provider. I plan to become pregnant after I return from an area where malaria transmission occurs. How long does it take it take for antimalarial drugs to clear the body? Because there is no evidence that chloroquine and mefloquine are associated with congenital defects when used for preventing malaria (prophylaxis), CDC does not recommend that women planning pregnancy need to wait a specific period of time after their use before becoming pregnant.
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