You may need to take a short trial course of antimalarial tablets before travelling. This is to check that side effects do not occur and that you do not have an adverse reaction. If you do, alternative antimalarials can be prescribed before you leave. The type of antimalarial tablets that you will be recommended is based on the following information:.
If you've taken antimalarial medication in the past, don't assume it's suitable for future trips. The type of antimalarial that you will need to take depends on which strain of malaria is carried by the mosquitoes in an area. It will also depend on whether they're resistant to certain types of antimalarial medication. To find out what type of antimalarial medication is best for you, visit your local travel clinic.
If malaria is diagnosed and treated quickly, you should fully recover. Treatment should be started as soon as possible. Treatment is with tablets or capsules.
If someone is very ill, treatment will be given through a drip into a vein in the arm intravenously. Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Malaria. Malaria See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About malaria 2. Preventing and treating malaria. About malaria Malaria is a serious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes.
A single mosquito bite is all it takes for someone to become infected. Symptoms of malaria It's important to be aware of the symptoms of malaria if you're travelling to areas where there's a high risk of the disease. The initial symptoms of malaria include: a high temperature fever headache sweats chills muscle aches or pains vomiting and or diarrhoea These symptoms can start mild and may be difficult to identify as malaria.
When to seek medical attention Malaria is a serious illness that can get worse very quickly. The effects of malaria are usually more severe in: babies young children pregnant women older people. What causes malaria? Plasmodium falciparum — mainly found in Africa, it's the most common type of malaria parasite and is responsible for most malaria deaths worldwide, though treatment does cure the infection.
Plasmodium ovale — fairly uncommon and usually found in West Africa. Plasmodium malariae — this is quite rare and usually only found in Africa. Plasmodium knowlesi — this is very rare and found in parts of southeast Asia. How malaria is spread The Plasmodium parasite is spread by mosquitoes. Where is malaria found? Complications of malaria Malaria is a serious illness that can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated quickly.
Anaemia The destruction of red blood cells by the malaria parasite can cause severe anaemia. Cerebral malaria In rare cases, malaria can affect the brain. Other complications Other complications that can arise as a result of severe malaria include: liver failure and jaundice — yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes shock — a sudden drop in blood pressure pulmonary oedema — a build-up of fluid in the lungs acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS abnormally low blood sugar — hypoglycaemia kidney failure swelling and rupturing of the spleen dehydration Malaria in pregnancy If you get malaria while pregnant, you and your baby have an increased risk of developing serious complications like: premature birth — birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy low birth weight restricted growth of the baby in the womb stillbirth miscarriage death of the mother Pregnant women are advised to avoid travelling to regions with a risk of malaria.
Preventing and treating malaria If you travel to an area that has malaria, you are at risk of the infection. Preventing malaria Malaria can often be avoided using the ABCD approach to prevention, which stands for: Awareness of risk — find out whether you're at risk of getting malaria Bite prevention — use insect repellent, cover your skin with clothing, and use a mosquito net to avoid mosquito bites Check whether you need to take antimalarial prevention tablets by visiting a travel health clinic - if you do, make sure you take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose and finish the course Diagnosis — seek immediate medical advice if you have malaria symptoms, including up to a year after you return from travelling Being aware of the risks To check whether you are travelling to a malaria risk area see the fitfortravel or National Travel Health Network and Centre NaTHNaC websites.
Preventing mosquito bites Avoiding mosquito bites is one of the best ways to prevent malaria. Symptoms usually appear between 7 and 18 days after becoming infected, but in some cases the symptoms may not appear for up to a year, or occasionally even longer. Seek medical help immediately if you develop symptoms of malaria during or after a visit to an area where the disease is found. You should still seek medical help even if it's several weeks, months or a year after you return from travelling.
If there's a possibility you have malaria, a blood test will be carried out to confirm whether or not you're infected. You should receive the results of your blood test on the same day. If you have malaria, treatment will be started straight away. Malaria is caused by a type of parasite known as Plasmodium. There are many different types of Plasmodia parasites, but only 5 cause malaria in people. The Plasmodium parasite is mainly spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which mainly bite at dusk and at night.
When an infected mosquito bites a person, it passes the parasites into the bloodstream. Malaria can also be spread through blood transfusions and the sharing of needles, but this is very rare. Read more about the causes of malaria and how it's spread. Malaria is not found in the UK — it may be diagnosed in travellers who return to the UK from risk areas. The TravelHealthPro website has more information about the risk of malaria in specific countries.
Many cases of malaria can be avoided. An easy way to remember is the ABCD approach to prevention:. Speak to your GP if you're planning to visit an area where there's a malaria risk. The disease should be treated early in its course, before it becomes serious and life-threatening. Several good antimalarial drugs are available, and should be taken early on. The most important step is to go see a doctor if you are sick and are presently in, or have recently been in, an area with malaria, so that the disease is diagnosed and treated right away.
Malaria can be cured with prescription drugs. The type of drugs and length of treatment depend on the type of malaria, where the person was infected, their age, whether they are pregnant, and how sick they are at the start of treatment. Very rarely. Travelers who are taking effective malaria preventive drugs but who will be traveling for an extended period of time or who will be at higher risk of developing a malaria infection may decide, in consultation with their health-care provider, to take along malaria treatment medication referred to as a reliable supply in case they develop malaria while traveling.
If the traveler develops symptoms of malaria, they should immediately seek medical attention so that they can be examined and diagnosed appropriately. If they are diagnosed with malaria, they will then already have with them a reliable supply of an effective malaria treatment medicine to take. Malaria self-treatment should begin right away if fever, chills, or other influenza-like illness symptoms occur and if professional medical care is not available within 24 hours.
Self-treatment of a possible malarial infection is only a temporary measure and immediate medical care is important.
No, not necessarily. Malaria can be treated. If the right drugs are used, people who have malaria can be cured and all the malaria parasites can be cleared from their body. However, the disease can continue if it is not treated or if it is treated with the wrong drug.
Some drugs are not effective because the parasite is resistant to them. Some people with malaria may be treated with the right drug, but at the wrong dose or for too short a period of time. Two types species of parasites, Plasmodium vivax and P. People diagnosed with P. Another type of malaria, P. However, in general, if you are correctly treated for malaria, the parasites are eliminated and you are no longer infected with malaria.
Malaria typically is found in warmer regions of the world — in tropical and subtropical countries. Higher temperatures allow the Anopheles mosquito to thrive. Malaria parasites, which grow and develop inside the mosquito, need warmth to complete their growth before they are mature enough to be transmitted to humans.
Malaria occurs in more than countries and territories. Yet malaria does not occur in all warm climates. For example, malaria has been eliminated in some countries with warm climates, while a few other countries have no malaria because Anopheles mosquitoes are not found there. In Africa south of the Sahara, the principal malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae , transmits malaria very efficiently.
The type of malaria parasite most often found, Plasmodium falciparum , causes severe, potentially fatal disease. Lack of resources and political instability can prevent the building of solid malaria control programs. In addition, malaria parasites are increasingly resistant to antimalarial drugs, presenting one more barrier to malaria control on that continent.
What constitutes a rural area can vary by country. In general, urbanization can be said to involve both population size and economic development of an area in which there is concentrated commercial activity, such as manufacturing, the sale of goods and services, and transportation.
Rural areas tend to have less commercial activity, less population density, more green space, and agriculture may be a main feature. Eradication means that no more malaria exists in the world. Malaria has been eliminated from many developed countries with temperate climates. However, the disease remains a major health problem in many developing countries, in tropical and subtropical parts of the world.
An eradication campaign was started in the s, but it failed globally because of problems including the resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides used to kill them, the resistance of malaria parasites to drugs used to treat them, and administrative issues. In addition, the eradication campaign never involved most of Africa, where malaria is the most common.
Agency for International Development, , and the World Health Organization, as well as in 21 malaria-endemic countries. Their work spans the spectrum of policy development, program guidance and support, scientific research, and monitoring and evaluation of progress toward RBM and PMI goals.
Commercial Availability of Artesunate for Injection. Contact Us. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. Malaria Notices.
0コメント