Malaria is a disease that can be potentially fatal, and is caused by a parasite called plasmodium. It spreads via a bite from a female mosquito that has been infected. Once infected, an individual could suffer flu-like symptoms, fevers, diarrhea, fatigue or many other symptoms. If a person has any of these symptoms within a year of returning from an infected area (normally tropical or sub-tropical regions), then they should get tested immediately; if anything, just to rule out malaria.

As mentioned, malaria can have the tendency to be fatal, but if diagnosed and treated early enough, most individuals make a full recovery. The disease is usually treated by using anti-malarial medications, the type and length of any treatment depending on a variety of factors, including where the infection occurred, the type of malaria contracted, age of the patient, whether pregnant or not and the severity of the symptoms.

Five types of drug are usually used to treat the disease and depending on what type of malaria is present, the doctor may prescribe a certain one, or combination of these drugs. These five drugs are atovaquone plus proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine and proguanil.

Mild cases of malaria can be treated at home once prescribed the medication, whereas more severe cases will require hospital treatment. Sometimes these drugs can be administered intravenously. All malaria treatments can make you feel tired and weak for several weeks.

Malaria