CHENNAI: Malaria is a disease transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes that are infected by a plasmodium parasite. The intensity of the disease depends on the species of Plasmodium. The symptoms include rigour, fever and sweating, usually a few weeks after being bitten.
“The main symptom of malaria is fever with rigour. The fever is not continuous, but rather episodic. For example, the patient may have a fever for 30 minutes and won’t have a fever for the rest of the day. The next episode may be within 24-48 hours. The gap between fever episodes depends on the species of the parasite,” said Dr Shameer VK, assistant professor, of general medicine, at Government Medical College, Kozhikode.
Unlike seasonal flu, in which the patient experiences respiratory-related symptoms like sore throat, running nose and cough, in malaria such symptoms are absent. “Dengue and chikungunya are similar to malaria, but the body pain is more specific. Joint pain is classical in chikungunya fever, while dengue fever is accompanied by headache and body pain. Except for the fever pattern, the symptoms are similar to dengue and malaria. Rashes on the skin are also a sign of dengue,” he added.
Getting treated early will prevent any complications, but delaying it can cause severe complications like renal failure and even turn fatal. “One such complication is cerebal malaria which affects the brain. The symptoms will also include seizures and altered behaviour. It is a life-threatening condition. Another danger is renal failure,” Dr Shameer said.
Malaria can also result in a drop in red blood cells (RBC) for an adequate supply of oxygen to your body’s tissues. “This parasite grows inside RBC and destroys it. If too much RBC is destroyed, it will lead to a drop in platelet count and result in anaemia, jaundice and black water fever,” he added.
The presence of the parasite can be examined through blood tests. “The most conventional method used is peripheral smear test. A small drop of blood is dropped on a glass slide to create a smear and it is examined under a microscope to check for the presence of the parasite. Only trained eyes can identify it and therefore sometimes small labs may not have the expertise for it,” Dr Shameer said.
The disease is treated with anti-malarial drugs and based on the parasite you are infected with, the severity of the symptoms and other factors like age and whether you are pregnant.
Doctors have advised people to take preventive measures while travelling to or those living in areas endemic to malaria. Precautions include covering the skin to prevent mosquito bites, sleeping under a net, applying insect repellent and taking preventive medicine.
Box: Transmission cycle
Malaria spreads when a mosquito gets infected with the disease after biting an infected person, and the infected mosquito then bites a non-infected person. The malaria parasites enter that person's bloodstream and travel to the liver. When the parasites mature, they leave the liver and infect red blood cells.
Infection: A mosquito becomes infected by feeding on a person who has malaria
Parasite transmission: An infected mosquito transmits malaria parasites to another person
Liver: Once the parasites enter the body, they travel to the liver — where some types can lie dormant for as long as a year.
RBC attack: When the parasites mature, they leave the liver and infect the red blood cells (RBC). This is when people develop malaria symptoms
Cycle repeats: If an uninfected mosquito bites the person at this point in the cycle, it will become infected and can spread them other people