Malaria_Prevention and Control

Prevention and Control for individuals:

· Preventive medicine (prophylactic drugs), anti-malarial drugs:

- Chloroquine, taken weekly

- Proguanil (paludrine), taken daily

- Mefloquine, taken weekly – start two to three weeks before travelling to the infected area, may have side effects; mood changes, paranoia

- Doxycycline, taken daily – start two to three days before travelling and four weeks after leaving the malaria-infected area

- Maralone, taken daily with meals rich in fats – cannot be taken more than 28 days.

· Avoid mosquito bites by:

- using mosquito repellent cream,

- using mosquito nets and bed cloths,

- using screened,

- wear protective clothing.

· Spray rooms with insecticides,

· Discard water left unattended as it is known to attract mosquitoes, especially considering they breed in water,

· Vaccination – under development,

• If symptoms of malaria develop (such as fever), seek medical help urgently.

Prevention and Control for communities:

· Vector control; eliminating the mosquitoes, sterile insect technique (make them infertile),

· Protecting human directly,

· Standing water and swamps are drained,

· Ship, planes, and vehicles should be sprayed before arrival in malarial free location.

© 2009 Schlumberger Limited

Malaria_Treatment

The most common treatment is the use of anti-malarial drugs. These include chloroquine, primaquinine, mefloquine or quinine. These drugs can either reduce temperature or cure the infection. Unfortunately, drug-resistant strains of the pathogen, plasmodium has mutated.

Prevention and control can involve the protection of people directly or the destruction of the mosquito vectors. The aims of the two are to keep incidences of the disease at a minimum within the population.

medicines
Chris Pearson.

Malaria_Major symptoms

· High fever caused by toxins released within the red blood cells.

· Profuse sweating

· Nausea

· Shivering fits

· Headaches

· Vomiting

· Diarrhoea

· Anaemia (lethargy/ lack of energy) due to a loss in red blood cells and haemoglobin.

© 2009 Medem, Inc.

Malaria_Host response

When plasmodium is detected within the red blood cells, the host begin to produce antibodies. Unfortunately, the surface antigen of the plasmodium cell membrane changes periodically, making it unrecognisable to the antibodies. However, whilst the plasmodium is within the liver, it is isolated from the immune system of the host.