Dorothy FarrarMalaria
Malaria is an infectious disease whose origin is mostly found in tropical areas and is therefore considered a serious holiday illness. Malaria is usually transmitted by native female mosquitoes.
What is malaria?
Malaria is a tropical disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted to humans by female mosquitoes.
Malaria is also known as swamp fever or intermittent fever because it is an infectious disease that occurs in the tropics or subtropics. A direct person-to-person infection is unlikely, but there is a reporting requirement in Germany.
Depending on the type of pathogen and the course of the disease, different forms of malaria can be identified. A distinction is made between malaria tertiana, malaria quartana and malaria tropica. Malaria tropica has the most severe course of the disease. If symptoms suggest malaria, microscopic examination of a blood smear will provide certainty. This is where the parasites can be seen.
The confirmed number of malaria infections is currently around 500 to 600 people per year in Germany. This has already improved compared to the years between 1995 and 2000, when about twice the number of people were infected with malaria.
causes
The mosquito known as the mosquito is the cause of malaria. It is mainly native to the African continent. However, malaria can also be transmitted by insects in parts of South America and Asia.
On the other hand, infection via mosquitoes that are flown to Germany with luggage from distant countries is far less common. Malaria, which is supposedly tropical, is occasionally detected in the vicinity of travel centers such as airports or train stations.
However, direct infection between humans is almost impossible in the case of malaria. Only transmission from the mother to an unborn child is conceivable if the placenta is not intact.
Malaria can occur via a total of five different pathogens, each of which has different symptoms. Whether malaria is present and which therapies are to be taken depends on the type of malaria in question. Fast and effective action is crucial here, however, since malaria can lead to death.
symptoms and course
Possible symptoms of malaria:
In the human body, the malaria pathogen can lead to sudden high fever, chills and organic disorders. Sudden headaches, body aches, muscle cramps, back pain and a feeling of heat can also set in. Initially, malaria can hardly be differentiated from influenza .
Intermittent fever flares are typical of the disease. Depending on the form of malaria, these occur at different time intervals (3-5 hours). Tropical malaria is the most dangerous form of the disease. Here the fever episodes occur very irregularly. In addition, serious complications often arise with this form.
In severe cases, impaired consciousness, loss of consciousness ( fainting ) or kidney failure may occur. Finally, patients also develop anemia or jaundice when the liver is attacked. If malaria is not recognized and treated, it can be fatal. Cerebral malaria, if left untreated, always leads to coma and death. In the worst case, malaria leads to the death of the person affected.
When to the doctor?
If the typical malaria fever (body temperature above 38.5 degrees Celsius, chills and profuse sweating) occurs immediately after a stay in the tropics, a doctor should be consulted on the same day.
If cramps, unconsciousness or small red patches of skin occur, the emergency services must be called immediately. Changes in the urine (e.g. bloody urine or small amounts of urine) must also be clarified immediately. People who have traveled to one of the risk areas or who have come into contact with a person who may be infected with malaria should have the symptoms mentioned quickly examined.
People who suffer from a disease of the immune system or are already physically weakened by a fever are particularly at risk. Children, pregnant women and the elderly should also consult their family doctor if they suspect an infectious disease.
Malaria must always be treated by a specialist! The family doctor can make an initial suspected diagnosis and will then refer the patient to an internist. Depending on the severity of the condition, further measures may have to be taken immediately.
Diagnose
The characteristic symptoms of malaria are cyclical fever followed by chills. Depending on the severity of the disease, the fever occurs every third day (malaria tertiana) or every fourth day (malaria quartana). In the most dangerous form of the disease (malaria tropica), however, the fever episodes do not follow a fixed rhythm.
In addition to the periodically occurring fever, headaches and an enlargement of the spleen are typical, as well as many symptoms reminiscent of a flu infection: dizziness, tiredness, coughing, loss of appetite, sweating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle pain in the back and limbs.
In order to avoid confusion with influenza infections, the patient’s blood must be examined. The malaria parasites multiply in the red blood cells and are often easy to see with a simple light microscope.
By default, a blood smear is analyzed under the microscope with May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain and checked for the presence of malaria parasites. The species of the parasites can often also be determined using this method.
In the so-called rapid antigen test, a drop of blood is placed on a test strip. The test strip recognizes certain soluble proteins of the malaria pathogen. Although this test is quick and can theoretically also be carried out by private individuals without special equipment, this test alone is not sufficient for a diagnosis. The rapid test is unreliable and can provide both false positive and false negative results.
complications
The most common complication of malaria is probably misdiagnosis. This has to do with the long time between infection and the outbreak of malaria. There are also different types of malaria that make diagnosis difficult. The first symptoms of malaria are non-specific. Usually only a random remark by the person concerned about a previous trip abroad puts the doctor on the right track.
Up to 20 percent of those affected by the dangerous malaria tropica die. The diagnosis of this form of malaria is difficult, since unspecific symptoms dominate here too. After all, in more than 50 percent of those affected, thrombocytopenia indicates the clinical picture. In some cases, splenomegaly or hepatomegaly can also be detected.
Cerebral forms of malaria lead to seizures and clouding of consciousness. In the worst case, the person affected can be comatose. As a result, complications such as acute kidney failure, circulatory failure, hemolytic anemia or pulmonary forms occur. Disseminated intravascular blood coagulation disorders can occur.
Tertian malaria is recognizable by a certain rhythm in the fever attacks. These come and go. Excessive fever levels can lead to complications if left untreated. However, this form of malaria is rarely fatal. In the case of the less common malaria quartana, relapses can occur up to 40 years after the original infection.
treatment and therapy
If an infection with malaria is suspected, the family doctor should be consulted, who will refer the patient to a tropical specialist. Depending on the type of malaria, treatment can be on an outpatient basis or require an inpatient stay.
A relatively harmless form of “tropical malaria” is fought within a few hours or days with tablets or solutions to be swallowed. However, much stronger forms of “malaria tropica” are also known, in which therapy depends on the circumstances occurring in the individual case and can be extremely complicated.
In contrast, “malaria tertiana” requires treatment lasting several weeks. Here the care is made up of acute help and a preventive measure against relapses.
On the other hand, “malaria quartana”, which can usually be brought under control within a few hours on an outpatient basis, requires a little less effort. However, it should always be left to a specialist to decide which measures to take in the case of malaria.
prevention
Protection against malaria disease is currently not completely possible. It is true that vaccinations are conceivable, which are usually intended to make the body immune to the malaria pathogen over a longer period of time.
However, malaria cannot be considered completely harmless. Before traveling to areas affected by malaria, you should ask a tropical medicine doctor about the necessary precautionary measures as early as possible.Chemoprophylaxis, which uses medication to prevent malaria, is important for malaria prophylaxis. However, it should be borne in mind that the corresponding drugs do not completely protect against malaria.
Mosquito repellent is recommended for prevention. Conservative means (mosquito nets, long clothing) are also very effective for repelling mosquitoes.
Medication against an acute spontaneous illness of malaria must be planned urgently when travelling. If the symptoms of malaria appear, these medications should be taken as soon as possible.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.