Sunday, February 14, 2010
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite (plasmodium) which is transmitted from human to human by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.Symptoms of Malaria
Malarial attacks present over 4 to 6 hours with shaking chills, high fever, and sweating, and are often associated with fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, dry cough, muscle or joint pain, and back ache. The attacks may occur every other day or every third day.
Cerebral malaria and death can occur, sometimes within 24 hours, if the infection is caused by plasmodium falciparum.
Treatment of MalariaMedical treatment should be sought immediately. The effectiveness of antimalarial drugs differs with different species of the parasite and with different stages of the parasite's life cycle. Your physician will determine the treatment plan most appropriate for your individual condition.
Drugs include chloroquine, mefloquine, primaquine, quinine, pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine (Fansidar), and doxycycline. Some plasmodium have developed resistance to certain medications, and therefore, alternative medications will be prescribed
posted by emedinfo
@9:13 PM
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