Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite belonging to the Plasmodium genus. There are four identified species of this parasite causing human malaria, viz., Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum,     P. ovale and P. malariae.  It is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. It is a disease that can be treated easily, yet it can be fatal if the diagnosis and treatment are delayed. It is re-emerging as the No.1 infectious killer, and currently is the No.1 priority tropical disease of the World Health Organization. 

How does one get Malaria?

A person gets malaria from the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which feeds on human blood.  The mosquito bite injects young forms of the malaria parasite into the person’s blood. The parasites travel through the person’s bloodstream to the liver, where they grow to their next stage of development.  In 6 to 9 days, the parasites leave the liver and enter the bloodstream again.  They invade the red blood cells, finish growing, and begin to multiply quickly.  The number of parasites increases until the red blood cells burst, releasing thousands of parasites into the person’s bloodstream.  The parasites attack other red blood cells, and the cycle of infection continues, causing the common signs and symptoms of malaria viz., fever, chills, rigours, headache, generalized weakness, loss of appetite, etc. When a non-infected mosquito bites an infected person, the mosquito sucks up parasites from the person’s blood.  The mosquito is then infected with the malaria parasites.  The parasites go through several stages of growth, and when the mosquito bites someone else, that person gets infected and the entire cycle begins again.

As malaria symptoms are similar to that of flu,  it goes untreated quite often. In such cases treatment becomes difficult as the disease is at an advanced stage. So, it should be kept in mind: for any fever which lingers for 2 - 3 days, the possibility of malaria should be taken in to consideration, unless and until proved otherwise.

Chemo prophylactic treatment is advised for high risk groups, like people working in hospitals, people traveling to areas where incidences of malaria are high, and even for people residing in known mosquito-prone areas. 

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT MEDICINES SHOULD BE TAKEN ONLY ON THE ADVICE OF YOUR DOCTOR. 

Major steps you can take to prevent malaria

• Keep the overhead tanks of your buildings clean and properly closed. Cooperate with the municipal staff /health workers and allow them to check overhead tanks in your buildings.
• Empty, clean and refill all household water containers at least once a week.
• Do not let the water in construction sites stagnate.
• If you are unable to remove the stagnated water from a nearby locality, at least pour a layer of oil over the stagnant water so that mosquitoes are prevented from breeding.
• If you have a well, place fish in it so that they can eat the mosquito larvae!
• Use all the possible mosquito repellants.
• Use of mosquito nets, especially for children should be encouraged.
• Any fever, not responding in 2 - 3 days, should not be neglected and your doctor should be consulted.

There is no permanent vaccine or cure for malaria as it can occur  as many  times as you get a fresh infection through a mosquito bite.  Infection with Plasmodium falciparum is a medical emergency and can cause kidney or liver failure, coma and death.  Although infections with other malaria parasites cause less serious illness, parasites can remain inactive in the liver and cause a reappearance of symptoms months, or even years later.  A point worth mentioning here is that in 2001, as many as 48,000 cases of malaria were reported in Maharashtra state of which 12,580 cases, over 26%, were from Mumbai alone.  It has also been found that on an average, 2% of persons infected with falciparum malaria die, usually because of delayed treatment.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST TREATMENT.