Expert Says Malaria Remains a Major Threat

Malaria has been eradicated in North Amercia but the region is not immune to the disease yet, according to an expert.

This is because North America is still home to the vector which is the female anopheles mosquito, an expert said here Friday.

Malaria - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is characterized by fever, vomiting, shivering, sweating and other symptoms.

This means that there could be small outbreaks of malaria if somebody infected with the disease from the endemic parts of the world visits such regions, Amit Sharma of Italy's International Centre for Genetics and Biotechnology said.

Sharma said malaria was one of the biggest killers of children in Africa.

The problem, he said, is so severe in Africa that 50 percent of children who have been afflicted with malaria and survived will have seizures while around 10 percent will have neurological problems throughout life.

About Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Unlike common perception, the disease is not limited to the tropical areas, Sharma said.

The malarial parasite has become resistant to most drugs within years of introduction. Thus the only available option is to treat the disease with multi-drug therapy, the expert added.

Quiz on Malaria
Malaria is a common parasitic disease of the tropics, resulting in a million deaths every year. It is most commonly found in tropical countries. The symptoms of malaria include fever with chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Malaria fatalities can be reduced if they are detected early and treated appropriately

He said that although research was on for vaccination against the disease, the best preventive method was using medicated mosquito nets.

According to him, global warming was contributing directly to malaria as the parasite develops in warmer climate.

Australian Researchers Close in on a Potential Vaccine Against Malaria
With a study showing treatment that had protected mice against several strains of the disease, Australian researchers said they were closing in on a potential vaccine against malaria.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by plasmodium. It begins with a bite from an infected female anopheles mosquito.

Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever and headache, which in severe cases can progress to coma or death.

Source-IANS