Dr.Rashmi
Mosquito
borne diseases are prevalent in more than 100 countries,
infecting 300-500 million people and causing about 1 million
deaths every year. In India, more than 40 million people
suffer from mosquito diseases annually. There are a number of
diseases borne by mosquitoes. They are malaria, filaria,
dengue, brain fever and yellow fever. Yellow fever is caused
by mosquitoes in jungle areas in parts of Africa and South
America.
In India, malaria, filaria and dengue are the most prevalent
diseases spread by mosquitoes. Over two million cases of
malaria alone are reported. Even more astonishing is the fact
that India spends 100 million dollars on malaria. In spite of
spending so much, the diseases continue to explode from time
to time. The reason is that these mosquitoes develop
resistance to medicines and chemicals. Hence fighting
mosquitoes and the diseases spread by them is a continuous
process. Eradication of mosquitoes is the only way to protect
mankind. Is it possible?
To a great extent, mosquito diseases can be prevented. This
booklet is created to make people aware of the various
diseases and how to protect themselves. In fact every
household, village and township must participate in this
process.
The mosquito borne diseases are no more downmarket diseases,
since you find them in boardroom, in the lifts, in the cars,
in theatres, in the golf clubs, etc. However it is also
not to be forgotten that mosquitoes and mosquito borne
diseases are the result of low hygiene and sanitation in the
downmarket areas and poor insect control in the upmarket
areas.
Malaria
Malaria
is a common disease caused by a microscopic parasite that is
passed along from one infected person to another by
mosquitoes. It is prevalent in Latin America, the Caribbean,
Africa, Arabian peninsula, Central Asia, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Iran, India, Southeast Asia and southern China.
Relative risk of getting malaria:
1. Papua
New Guinea 1:140
2. Nigeria
1:210
3. Kenya
1:926
4. India
1:1450
5. Pakistan
1:5300
How
do people get afflicted with malaria?
Four
species of parasites cause malaria in man. The most dangerous
of these is the plasmodium falciparum that can cause cerebral
malaria.
This species afflicts about one-tenth of total
malaria victims and might even prove fatal. The parasite
enters the body by the bite of the female anopheles mosquito,
which is the only mosquito type that transmits human malaria.
You cannot catch malaria directly from another human being -
the infecting parasite has to pass through a mosquito first.
Even if a mosquito that has bitten a malarial patient bites
you, the transmitted as malaria parasite has an incubation
period in mosquitoes, just as it has in human beings.
Four species cause human malaria.
P. Falciparum
P. Vivax
P. Malariae
P. Ovale
Life cycle of the malarial parasite
1. Sporozoites in salivary gland
2. Oocysts in stomach wall
3. Male and female Gametocytes
4. Liver phase
5. Release of merozoites from liver
These enter red cells where both sexual and asexual cycle
continue.
What are its symptoms?
Look
for bouts of shivering, accompanied by severe chill that cause
chattering of teeth and "goose pimples" on the skin.
This will be followed by rise in body temperature. It might go
to 40.5 degree C. And accompanied by severe headaches,
bodyaches, etc. This usually lasts for 4 to 6 hours after
which the temperature declines, profuse sweating occurs, and
the symptoms disappear, leaving a feeling of great weakness.
But symptoms aren't always clear-cut. They might mimic other
illnesses. Sometimes it is wrongly diagnosed as the flu. Or,
as when it is accompanied by abdominal pain, vomiting,
diarrhoea, it might be mistaken for a stomach upset.
Plasmodium falciparum in particular exhibits symptoms of
jaundice, convulsion, etc., and can be confused with
gastroenteritis, hepatitis, meningitis or viral encephalitis.
Fever and high body temperature, chills, sweating, back pain,
vomiting, diarrhoea, coma, flu, kidney failure, severe
headaches, convulsion.
What are the dangers of malaria?
While
most malarial parasites need not be fatal, the resulting bouts
of fever, shivering etc., can cause a lot of weakness. The
plasmodium falciparum parasite, however, can cause serious
complications including low blood sugar levels, abnormal
accumulation of fluids in the lungs, spontaneous bleeding,
circulatory collapse, and shock. It might be even fatal as
when it causes the much-feared cerebral malaria - often
described as un-rousable coma. Malaria is highly dangerous for
the pregnant women the unborn child, who are likely to
develop the more severe cases of malaria.
Why are treatments not so effective?
Unfortunately, the more the anti-malarial drugs and used, the greater the resistance the parasite develops to them, making it difficult to control the ailment. Quite often malaria is not easy to diagnose, and by the time it is correctly identified, the severit of attack has intensified. Also, most people tend to make medication only until the fever and more severe symptoms abate; after which they become negligent. But for the treatment to be really effective, it is essential that the patient go through the entire course of medication prescribed.
