6 Things You Need To Know About Malaria, Just In Case

“The malaria parasite has been killing children and sapping the strength of whole populations for tens of thousands of years. It is impossible to calculate the harm malaria has done to the world.” - Bill Gates

The 'little monster' has managed to create threat to the entire population. Millions of people die because of malaria throughout the world. One who gets malaria will never forget those days of typical fever, teeth-chattering chills and drenching sweats. The point is, we don't have a vaccine for malaria, but, we do have effective drugs. Here, in this blog, I'll discuss some important facts about malaria which will help you take necessary steps against the disease.

What is malaria? Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that gets into our body and destroys red blood cells. Apart from destroying red blood cells, it also causes jaundice (yellowish skin & dark urine) due to red-cell breakdown. It can damage your kidney causing confusion, seizures and death.

What causes malaria? Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters our body and gets into our blood, usually, via, the bite of a certain mosquito, the female Anopheles. When a mosquito bites and feeds the blood of someone who is affected with malaria, the parasite gets transferred into the mosquito, but doesn't make it sick. When the same mosquito, bites another person, it regurgitates the parasite into the new person's blood. This is how, malaria spreads. It can also be spread by a blood transfusion or transplant from someone with the disease.

Where is malaria found? In some tropical and sub-tropical climates, especially in Africa, malaria is still rampant. In 2013, over 200 million people came down with malaria and over 600,000 people died. In the U.S., around 1500 are treated each year, while in India, the total annual number of cases may be about 9.7 million with about 30,014 – 48,660 deaths.

Could malaria come back to countries thought to have eliminated it? Yes, malaria can come back to countries thought to have eliminated it. But, the count would be less. There are still occasional small outbreaks of malaria in the U.S. Fortunately, they have good treatment and there aren't enough cases for many mosquitoes to get infected and cause a widespread outbreak. Of course, that could change in a prolonged disaster or if, for any reason, the medical system broke down.

How do we treat malaria? Although we have pretty good drugs to treat malaria, but, if a day comes when those drugs are not available, prevention will be the best medicine. That would mean keeping mosquitoes from getting to you. Put screens on open windows, and use mosquito nets. Apply mosquito repellant on the nets, your clothes, and your skin. Commercial repellants containing DEET are effective, but, be sure to read the complications and side effects before using. Also, get rid of standing water near where you live, because, that may be the breeding ground for mosquitoes.

What about a vaccine? Lots of research have been going on for developing an effective and safe malaria vaccine. There was never been a vaccine for parasite infection before, and apparently the body's immunity response to these parasites, which a vaccine would build on, is pretty complicated.  But, some scientists seem to be getting close. In fact, there are rumours that there may be a malaria vaccine within a year or so.