Malaria, a life-threatening disease found in almost all parts of the world. In 2020 there were approximately 409,000 deaths out of 229 million cases worldwide. Africa accounted for 94 percent of those cases. Efforts to eradicate the disease have had a positive impact in several countries, with China declaring in 2021 that it had completely eliminated malaria.
The earliest case of Malaria was described in a Chinese document most likely written around 2700 BC. However the first scientific studies appeared in 1880 when Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran discovered the parasites that cause the disease.
Malaria most likely arrived in the United States with the pilgrims. During World War II, malaria had a lethal impact on American troops with huge numbers of soldiers dying from malaria. In response, the United States government founded the Centers for Disease and Prevention to focus its resources on developing drugs to combat the deadly disease and others.
Causes of Malaria
The term malaria originates from the Italian mal'aria, meaning "bad air". During the 18th century the Italian marshes were infested with malaria-infected mosquitoes where communities were decimated. The Italians attributed the cause of the illness to the rancid air produced by marshland off-gases. By the time science dispelled that myth in the 19th century with the discovery of a single-cell parasite, Plasmodium, the name was already a permanent part of the vernacular. Five different species of Plasmodium cause malaria in humans. These include:
- Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)
- Plasmodium knowlesi (or P. knowlesi)
- Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)
- Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)
- Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)
The female Anopheles mosquito is responsible for all malaria infections in humans. The mosquito becomes infected when it draws blood from an infected host. The mosquito then transmits the disease the next time it syphons blood from a new host. Malaria is not contagious from human to human as the parasites are confined to the bloodstream.
Signs You've Contracted Malaria
Signs of malaria usually begin 7-14 days within infection. Children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems may begin to show signs of the disease within 2-3 days after being infected. Some people may not experience symptoms until weeks or months later. In cases of asymptomatic malaria, an individual may never notice any symptoms. However, mild and moderate infections usually cause flu-like symptoms including:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Muscle aches
- Diarrhea
Severe malaria may cause:
- Respiratory distress
- Convulsion
- Severe anemia
- Jaundice
- Hypoglycemia
- Renal Failure
- Bleed and clotting issues
The most lethal type of malaria comes from the Plasmodium falciparum parasite and requires prompt treatment. The infection may cause life-threatening conditions, such as breathing obstruction and possibly death within days or weeks.
Because many cases of malaria go unnoticed by the infected host, travelers returning from countries with a high incidence of malaria should be tested for the disease in order to begin treatment immediately.
Treating Malaria
A malaria infection develops in three stages. After the host has been infected, the parasites first invade the liver cells. In stage two, the blood cells are infiltrated and in stage three, the gametes responsible for the infection are formed. Most primary treatments target parasites in the blood cells.
Antimalarial drugs can be very effective against most species and work quickly, usually within 2 weeks, to clear the body of parasites. However, in some countries, the parasites have become resistant to the treatment the same way bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) include a combination of 2 or more drugs and have been successful for treating resistant malaria.
Other malaria drugs help to prevent malaria when traveling to areas with known malaria-infected mosquitoes. Travelers start taking the medication 1-2 days before traveling and continue the course of drugs while traveling and up to several weeks after ending the trip.