Malaria Treatment
If a person becomes ill with symptoms of malaria (caused by the Plasmodium parasite) while in a malarial area, or up to one year after returning home, he or she should seek medical advice immediately.
Malaria causes flu like symptoms, shivering and a fever. However symptoms can vary, and others include nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, jaundice, mental confusion, and a feeling of being generally unwell. In severe cases, impaired consciousness, seizures, coma and even death may occur.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria
With the correct diagnosis, and administration of the appropriate malaria treatment without delay, a full recovery is likely. There are different types of malaria, which can affect the type of treatment given.
If a person is suspected of having caught malaria, he or she should be treated as a case of emergency. Prompt treatment by a medically qualified person is essential because the disease is potentially fatal. A blood test will need to be carried out as soon as possible to see if malaria is present, and which species of Plasmodium is being dealt with.
It is also important to consider the countries and areas the patient has travelled to, the dates and length of stay, and the date of return home. In addition to this, any anti-malarial medicines that may have been taken (prophylaxis), and whether they were taken correctly, should be noted.
Types of Malaria Treatment
The type of malaria treatment given will depend on the severity of malaria infection, and which species of Plasmodium has caused the infection. The four species that infect humans include Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae.
Non-falciparum malaria is usually treated by orally administered chloroquine, although malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale will require further treatment in the form of primaquine to prevent a relapse of infection. Falciparum malaria can be treated with medicines such as quinine tablets or atovaquone-proguanil.
The malaria treatment chosen will depend in part on the area of the world in which the person was infected, due to variations in drug-resistance between the different strains of malaria. For example, United States treatment guidelines state that infection by Plasmodium falciparum can be treated with chloroquine, if the infection was acquired in one of the few parts of the world where Plasmodium falciparum is not yet resistant to chloroquine.
Treatment for Severe Malaria
Infection with Plasmodium falciparum may require hospital admission, as this particular species of malaria parasite can cause severe illness very suddenly and even be life-threatening.
If malaria infection is acute (most likely caused by Plasmodium falciparum), quinine treatment may initially need to be given intravenously before being administered orally. Severely infected individuals, children and pregnant women with malaria must be monitored closely.
It is better to prevent malaria by avoiding mosquito bites and taking anti-malaria tablets if advised to do so.