Welcome to our guide to the disease Malaria. We'll first look at the causes of Malaria along with the subsequent symptoms of Malaria. We also aim to give an insight into the treatment of Malaria and Malaria Prevention methods that can easily be put in place when you are travelling to and staying in one of the worldwide Malaria hotspots.

The Malaria disease is something we often hear about on the television but have little experience with in western society so asking 'what is Malaria?' is a very valid question.

What is Malaria?

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium, in short it is a parasite that once in your blood makes you ill. It is a common and dangerously fatal, although curable, disease that is diagnosed all over the world. There are 109 countries across Latin America, Asia and Africa that are deemed as Malaria hotspots.

By spending time in any part of the world classed as a Malaria hotspot you are going to be somewhat exposed to the disease. Malaria can be caught by anyone although pregnant women and children are thought to be the most vulnerable and it is highly recommended that anyone who is pregnant does not travel to Malaria hotspots under any circumstances.

Contracting Malaria

Contracting Malaria can happen as easily as being bitten by just one mosquito. If you live in or intend to travel to any country where Malaria is a threat it is vital that you are aware of how to avoid exposure and which treatments are available to your prior to your journey. Failure to prepare yourself is quite simply asking for trouble as Malaria can cause serious illness at best and is otherwise fatal.

Over one million people each year die from Malaria and as many as half a billion people are effected to some degree by the disease. It is a sad and shocking fact that every 30 seconds a child will die from Malaria, a child who has no way of protecting themselves from the disease. As somebody with access to the internet and is reading this site you are somebody with means of helping yourself so take the opportunity to educate yourself on how the best form of treatment of Malaria is in fact Malaria prevention.

What Causes Malaria?

So now that the question 'What is Malaria?' has been answered it is now important to know what the causes of Malaria disease are. The causes of Malaria are very plain and very simple....... Mosquito bites!

Once a Mosquito bites a person or animal that is infected with one of the 4 Plasmodium Malaria parasites they become infected with Malaria disease. The Mosquito will then spread the Malaria parasites into the blood stream of those that they proceed to bite afterwards. The parasite travels through the blood to the host's liver where it will multiply and go back to the bloodstream in numbers to attack your red blood cells. Once they are inside the red blood cells they multiply further until the red blood cells burst and as a result release more parasites into the blood plasma which will cause the initial high temperature symptom and this all happens in a matter of hours. Once you are infected you are technically then responsible for spreading the Malaria disease as any Mosquito that bites you and draws blood will then become infected and is able to then infect the next person they bite and so on.

The 4 Plasmodium parasites responsible for causing malaria are called:

• Plasmodium falciparum - Responsible for causing malignant Malaria, the most severe strains and the most deaths.
• Plasmodium vivax - Responsible for causing benign Malaria which is less severe, however it can stay dormant in your liver for years and lead to relapses of the Malaria disease.
• Plasemodium ovale - This parasite is resposible for causing benign Malaria and can remain in the body for years without producing the symptoms of Malaria.
• Plasmodium malariae - This is the rarest of the malaria parasites but when it is contracted it can cause benign Malariae.

The Symptoms of Malaria

Here we aim to provide you with a breakdown of the symptoms of Malaria disease in order to help you recognise whether or not you need to seek medical help immediately.

The initial symptoms of Malaria are those of the common flu where you will experience most commonly a high temperature. These symptoms shouldn't be ignored like they would be if you were in a country where Malaria is not a threat, trying to soldier on through will do you no favours what so ever and could ultimately lead to your death.

As there are several strains of Malaria the symptoms that your will experience may vary. As previously mentioned the most common symptom of Malaria is a high temperature or fever that will come about in a matter of hours, this may then subside for a few hours before coming back again. Obviously as temperatures go this is unusual and is a prominent warning sign for you to seek medical help. These temperature fluctuations can be accompanied by one or many of the following symptoms:

• Headaches
• Chills
• Diarrhoea
• Muscular pain
• Lethargy
• Sickness
• Coughing fits
• Abdominal pains

You must seek medical help as soon as you start to experience these symptoms because if you don't what follows is delirium which is becoming confused and acting erratically whilst also experiencing fits and seizures. Following this you can fall into a coma from which you may never awaken.

It can take up to 18 months to begin experiencing the symptoms of Malaria disease so if you have returned home from travelling to a Malaria hotspot and you begin to feel the symptoms mentioned here it is vital to see your doctor as soon as possible.

The main point of this site is that if you are aware of what Malaria is and know about the causes of Malaria then you will naturally look at Malaria prevention methods. Carrying out these methods will mean that you will be protected against the Malaria disease and as a result will never experience the symptoms of Malaria let alone have to go through the treatment of Malaria. If only it were that simple for everybody in the world.

More details on the treatment of Malaria and on Malaria prevention methods