Malaria is a widely prevalent disease in India. It makes the person weak as frequent attacks of malaria destroy the RBC’s in blood. As a result, it makes the person anemic and prone to other infections. Generally malaria occurs due to two types of organisms. 1. Plasmodium vivax, and 2. Plasmodium falciparum which is widely prevent. It is caused due to the biting of a female anopheles mosquito. Incubation period in Malana is the length of time between the infective mosquito bite and the first appearance of clinical signs of which fever is most common. This period is usually not less than 10 days.
Mode of spread
Anopheles mosquitoes breed in clean stagnant water. When these mosquitoes’ bite a person suffering from malaria, the germs enter the mosquitoes’ body. There these germs develop. When this mosquito bites a healthy person, the germs are transferred into his/her blood. Then the person has fever after seven days.
Malaria due to Plasmodium vivax
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Symptoms
Initially, fever comes with rigers, accompanied by headache. Fever subsides after perspiration within few hours and the patient feels weak after the fever subsides. Normally the fever comes on alternate days and on fixed times. Sometimes the fever comes daily. The presence of Plasmodium in the blood confirms malaria.
Treatment
Chloroquine is given to treat malaria. The tablets should be taken as per the advice of the medical doctor or malaria health worker.
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Malaria due to Plasmodium Falciparum
This is a dangerous type of malaria. It would be fatal within one or two weeks of infection.
Symptoms
Initially headache, body ache, malaise, high fever which is irregular, Fever is sometimes constant, alternate and sometimes after four days. Fever usually subsides with fever later on; fever becomes regular and alternate and starts with rigors, rises to the peak and subsides with perspiration. The fever is very high; sometimes it reaches up to 107 degree Fahrenheit. The person often goes into delirium and sometimes faints. At times the person gets convulsions which may damage the brain.
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Treatment
The treatment should be done under the medical practitioner. Quinine is given to combat against this malaria.
Prevention
Preventing the spread of mosquitoes is the thrust area to prevent malaria. Water should not be allowed to stagnate. Drain them whenever possible. If water is stored in tanks or vessels, they should be covered with a cloth or lid. The container should be cleaned every week. Use mosquito nets while sleeping at night.