What parts of the body does malaria affect?

---

I am working on a project about malaria at school, and I need to know exactly what parts of the body it affects and the reason for why it affects these parts. Thanks.
The fundamental problem in malaria is the damage to the blood cells which in turn can damage other organs in the body including kidneys, spleen, liver, brain etc See sources below for additional information.  (+ info)

Which type of anti-Malaria tablets work best with the least number of side affects yada yada?

---

I am going to Indonesia this year on a trip with university and will be needing anti-Malaria tablets and was wondering which ones were best? I have talked to some people that say the most expensive are my best bet. Some of my friends have had anti-Malaria tablets before and suffered sickness and an aversion to sunlight, I'm not sure which ones they took though. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Artemisinin, a compound extracted from sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), has been used for more than 1500 years in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fevers. Over the past few decades, combinations of artemisinin derivatives such as artesunate and artemether have proved highly effective against malaria. Try this natural remedy if you have any problems with pharma drugs. The World Health Organization allows this to be used and distributed.  (+ info)

How long does the treatment take to cure Malaria?

---

I'm in 7th grade writing a story about refugees, and malaria happens to be the disease a character has. I need to know this.

Thank you.
Thank you, Debonair. I searched and it says "Malaria can be cured if treated while in its early stages..." (http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/m/malaria.htm) But yes, there isn't a vaccine yet.
Depends which species of the malarial parasite this character is infected with, and that will depend somewhat on from where exactly they are a refuge. Plasmodium vivax is the most common in Asia and the US, whereas P. falciparum is the most common in Africa.
For P. vivax the treatment is for about 14 days but there is a problem of drug resistance and relapse with this beast; it can recur throughout life. However it is not usually life threatening.
For P. falciparum the treatment is a bit easier and lasts about 3 days, the disease usually does not recur. However this form can be deadly if not treated quickly.
Hope that helps.  (+ info)

How did sickle cell anemia form because of Malaria?

---

I'm doing a presentation on sickle cell anemia and I read that it started to protect the red blood cell against malaria. I need to describe how it protects the person from malaria. Can anyone make it in simple terms for me? Im looking online and all i can find is information about malaria and a lot of medical terms that i don't understand.
FLAWDA::BABii - YES, a person with sickle cell anemia (SCA) does provide some protection against getting malaria. Only in some individuals do malaria episodes progress to severe life-threatening disease, while in the majority the episodes are self-limiting. This is partly because of host genetic factors such as the sickle cell gene.

The sickle cell gene is caused by a single amino acid mutation. Inheritance of this mutated gene from both parents leads to sickle cell disease and people with this disease have shorter life expectancy. On the contrary, individuals who are carriers for the sickle cell disease (with one sickle gene and one normal hemoglobin gene, also known as sickle cell trait) have some protective advantage against malaria. As a result, the frequencies of sickle cell carriers are high in malaria-endemic areas.

Most early studies of the connection between sickle cell trait and malaria allowed us to investigate this connection. The sickle cell trait provides 60% protection against overall mortality. Most of this protection occurs between 2-16 months of life, before the onset of clinical immunity in areas with intense transmission of malaria.  (+ info)

What kind of climate do the parasites that cause malaria live in?

---

What kind of climate do the parasites that cause malaria live in?
If I cam correct, it is a tropical or sub-tropic environment right?
yep your right. thats why there is rarely any cases in the U.S. of people infected with malaria. It is way more common in places such as the amazon.  (+ info)

What is the best medicine to take to prevent malaria?

---

I am traveling abroad. My doctor prescribed Malarone, but I have heard that it upsets people's stomachs. I know there are other types of malaria prevention medicine. The most helpful answers would be people who have taken the drug/drugs. Thank you so much!
First I would make sure that you actually need antimalarial medication. I traveled to Guatemala and I met several Americans who were on prophylaxis but since I had done my research and checked with the U.S. State Department recommendations, I knew that I would not need it.

There are many different kinds of medications, especially since now there are resistant strains in certain areas. I would call your local health department and ask to speak to a nurse. He/she will be very knowledgable about all of the options and the side effects. Also, even if you know people affected my Malarone, it does not mean that you will be affected. Hope this is helpful.  (+ info)

How has math furthered our knowledge of malaria?

---

I am taking an integrative biology course and I need examples of how math has contributed to the knowledge of malaria. How would our understanding of the biology of malaria, the disease, differ without math?
it allows epidemologists to see the amount of widespread area that the disease has covered as well as the relative area of the female mosquitos' that are responsible for the spread of it from one individual to the other through active transport within the red blood cell's membane.  (+ info)

How can mosquitos carrying the malaria parasite become resistant to some of the drugs used?

---

Im doing a summer project for school about malaria and I need some help with this question.
Not the mosquitoes, but the parasite can and does develop resistant in many parts of the world. See more here: http://www.examiner.com/x-7707-Infectious-Disease-Examiner~y2009m7d8-Travel-health-malaria  (+ info)

Is there a brand of Malaria tablets that's less likely to cause sickness?

---

I've never had to take Malaria tablets before but will have to soon. I've heard reports of certain brands causing sickness and a feeling of unwell. Has anyone any experience of this or can recommend a brand that has little/no side effects? Thank you.
Malarone has very few side effects and is effective against all types of malaria including the deadly one.  (+ info)

How long does it take for Malaria blood tests to come back with accurate results?

---

My girlfriend has recently been taken into hospital and no-one knows what's wrong with her. The hospital took bloods to test for Malaria and came back within 24hrs saying that she was clear, however I have heard from other sources (without any evidence yet) that it can take up to 2 months for the blood cultures to grow.

Can someone please answer with a link to a trusted source stating how long it should normally take?

Many thanks,

Pan
Malaria is a parasite. Plasmodium is the genus and there are at least 4 species; malariae, falciparum, ovale and vivax.

These cannot be grown in culture. The easiest way to diagnose them is to prepare what's known as a thick and thin blood smear.

Its just what it sounds like. One 1 slide you make a thin blood smear and on another slide you drop blood so that it puddles up. Let them air dry and then stain them both.

The parasites are visible in the blood smears. If the sample is taken during a fever episode, the chances of finding the parasite are very good.

It only takes about 1 hour to prepare the slides, stain them, dry and examine them, if the tech is experienced.

There are antigen detection methods; ParaSite-F is one I've heard of, but never used. Its supposed to be quite sensitive.

Below is a link to everything you always wanted to know about malaria, but were afraidto ask.  (+ info)

---

---

• Home
• Our method
• Usage examples
• Index

• Statistics
• Contact

---