If you are camping in the woods and felt a sting of a mosquito, will it occur to you the possibility of acquiring malaria? What if that mosquito is a vector of such? What if all the mosquitoes in the world are carrier of this deadly infection? What would you do then? Confine yourself to lockdown and curse all the mosquitoes to death?If you are a person that loves outdoor activities, it would be relevant if you get yourself familiar with vast of infections and diseases, as well as their respective vectors.Malaria is one of the many infections acquired through mosquito bites. It is usually spread via the bites of infected female mosquitoes. Transmission through contaminated blood transfusion or an injection needle which was previously used by a person infected with malaria is also possible.Signs and symptoms like high fever, shaking chills, vomiting, and flu-like symptoms will start to appear between 10 to 15 days after the mosquito bite. Malaria is very common in tropical and subtropical areas around the world and can be deadly if left untreated. There are chances that travelers returning from tropical areas where malaria is present would bring with them the infection.
Malarial infection begins through the transmission of parasite from infected Anopheles mosquitoes from one person to another through its bites. the parasite will multiply and will migrate to the liver and multiply again. the parasites will then invade red blood cells and eventually causing the rupture of infected cells.
There are four species of malarial parasites that infect people. They are the Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. From among which, Falciparum malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous one because it can be fatal within few hours of the appearance of the first symptom. It damages many organs, small blood vessels and affecting the brain, lungs and kidneys.
When a person had recently travelled to a tropical place where malaria is widespread and he had the signs and symptoms, malaria can be suspected. Malaria blood smears should be taken to confirm diagnosis.
Antimalarial drugs like mefloquine, doxycycline, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine among others are prescribed to infected person. these drugs can also be taken in advance as prevention if one is planning to travel to a place where malaria is prevalent. Treatment and prevention as far as drugs are concern varies according to drug resistance of the Plasmodium species.
When travelling, it is very important to know the place you are visiting to exercise appropriate precautions and to keep yourself from possible infection. You can wear protective clothes to avoid mosquito bites and use insect repellents if possible. Maintain cleanliness in your surrounding and get rid of junks where mosquitoes could lay their eggs.If you are out in the wilderness or even if you are inside your home, sometimes it’s still inevitable to hide and get rid of these vectors like mosquito and other insects and animals, but like what is usually emphasized, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.