What are the symptoms of Malaria?
Malaria is caused by plasmodium parasites, which are carried by anopheles mosquitoes. CDC writes, ‘Only female mosquitoes spread the malaria parasites. When a mosquito bites a person who has malaria, it drinks the person’s blood, which contains the parasites. When the mosquito bites another person, it injects the parasites into that person. That’s how Malaria spreads.’
The first Malaria symptoms are fever, headache, and chills but may be mild and difficult to recognize Malaria. Sweating, nausea, vomiting, body aches and general malaise also present as symptoms to a Malaria patient.
If not treated within 24 hours, can progress to severe illness, often leading to death. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10–15 days after the infectious mosquito bites. Infection with malaria parasites may result in a wide variety of symptoms, ranging from absent or very mild symptoms to severe disease and even death. Children with severe malaria frequently develop one or more of these symptoms: Severe anemia, respiratory distress in relation to metabolic acidosis, or cerebral malaria. In adults, multi-organ failure is also frequent.
The National Health Service (NHS) writes that when it comes to some types of Malaria, symptoms occur in 48 hours and during these cycles, one feels cold at first with shivering. The patient then develops a high temperature, accompanied by severe sweating and fatigue. These symptoms last between 6 and 12 hours.
Not every infectious mosquito bite will result to malaria. The number of parasites each mosquito carries influences the chance of successful malaria infection. Some mosquitoes can be highly infected, making them particularly likely to pass on the disease. As symptoms resemble those of flu, they may remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in areas where malaria is less common. In malaria endemic areas, people may develop partial immunity, allowing asymptomatic infections to occur.
The greatest risk factor for developing malaria is to live in or to visit areas where the disease is common. These include the tropical and subtropical regions of: Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands and Central America and northern South America. The degree of risk depends on local malaria control, seasonal changes in malaria rates and the precautions you take to prevent mosquito bites. Mayo clinic writes that Malaria signs and symptoms typically begin within a few weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to a year.
People who live in areas with lots of malaria cases may become partially immune after being exposed to it throughout their lives. But this can change if they move to a place where they’re not around the parasite.