{"id":87,"date":"2024-06-12T05:12:19","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T05:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniparkmed.co.za\/info\/?p=87"},"modified":"2024-06-12T05:12:19","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T05:12:19","slug":"malaria-a-preventable-and-treatable-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniparkmed.co.za\/info\/2024\/06\/12\/malaria-a-preventable-and-treatable-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaria: A Preventable and Treatable Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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“Verwekker van malaria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sing maar Jou laaste aria –<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nog een minuut vir grasie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al soebat jy nou nog so lang,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al se jy ook: ek is nie bang,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nooit sien jy weer jou nasie…”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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– Extract from Muskietejag a Afrikaans poem by Deur A.D. Keet <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

from his book Gedigte (1920)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Malaria: A Persistent Threat<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Mature, malariae, schizont, old, trophozoite<\/a> photo by Steven Glenn, Laboratory and Consultation Division, USCDCP<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that remains a significant public health concern globally. It primarily affects tropical and subtropical regions, causing immense illness, disability, and death, particularly among young children. It infects mammals, birds and reptiles with a combined number of more than 125 species of malaria. First symptoms recorded that resemble that of malaria date back to 413 B.C., the word Malaria is derived from one Italian that associated with “bad air”. The first well documented infection in South Africa may have been that of Louis Trichardt Maputo trek between 1837-1838.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, an estimated 241 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide, and an estimated 630,000 people died from the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transmission and Life Cycle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parasite responsible for malaria, Plasmodium, is transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito bites a human, the parasite enters the bloodstream and travels to the liver. Inside the liver, the parasite matures and reproduces, before bursting out and infecting red blood cells. Within red blood cells, the parasite continues to multiply, causing the characteristic symptoms of malaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms and Complications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The classic symptoms of malaria include fever, chills, sweating, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. However, symptoms can vary depending on the severity of infection and the specific Plasmodium species involved. Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite and can cause severe complications, including severe anaemia, cerebral malaria (affecting the brain), and death, particularly in young children and pregnant women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prevention Strategies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, malaria is both preventable and treatable. Here are the key approaches:<\/p>\n\n\n

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