Malaria or malaria can be cured

• May 3, 2024

In 2008, 247 million cases of malaria or malaria were detected, killing nearly one million people, especially children in Africa. This is one of the conclusions of the last report of the World Health Organization (WHO) about one of the most famous and deadly tropical diseases in the world.

A condition that, however, is preventable and can be cured.

Although it is considered an own disease of Africa - where every 45 seconds a minor dies and is responsible for 20 percent of infant deaths - there are also cases registered in large regions of Asia, Latin America; to a lesser extent, in the Middle East and some areas of Europe.

Exclusive transmission of anopheles

Malaria is transmitted exclusively by the infective bite of any of the 20 different species of anopheles in the world and is caused by parasites of the genus plasmodium.

These mosquitoes are bred in shallow freshwater (such as puddles, rice fields or animal tracks) and all bite at night.

The intensity of the transmission depends on factors related to the parasite, the mosquito and the human host, as well as the environment.

The contagion also depends on climatic conditions that favor the abundance and survival of mosquitoes, for example: rainfall, temperature and humidity. In many regions transmission reaches its maximum intensity during the rainy season.

Human immunity is an important factor: it has been shown that it develops over time, so that adults bear more the onslaught of the disease in contrast to young children who are more vulnerable.

Symptoms of malaria

Symptoms manifest 10 to 15 days after the bite. Occasionally, it may be difficult to recognize the malarial origin of the first symptoms, such as fever, headache, chills and vomiting, as these are signs that can be confused with other disorders.

The problem is that if it is not treated in the first 24 hours, the most dangerous malaria, which is caused by the parasite falciparum , the patient can become aggravated and die.

In children from endemic areas with severe disease, malaria usually presents with severe anemia, respiratory distress related to metabolic acidosis or cerebral malaria. Thousands of children's lives are lost because of malaria.