TAKE PRECAUTION

Malaria is a dangerousdisease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquitowhich feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with highfevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Four kinds of malaria parasitescan infect humans. Althoughmalaria can be a dangerous disease, the danger from malaria can usually beprevented.

Usually, people getmalaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria andthey must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken on an infectedperson. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood istaken in which contains microscopic malaria parasites. About 1 week later, whenthe mosquito takes its next blood meal, these parasites mix with the mosquito'ssaliva and are injected into the person being bitten.

Because the malariaparasite is found in red blood cells of an infected person, malaria can also betransmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplant, or the shared use ofneedles or syringes contaminated with blood. Malaria may also be transmittedfrom a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery.

Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold orthe flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted. You cannot get malaria fromcasual contact with malaria-infected people, such as sitting next to someonewho has malaria.

Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness,including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea,vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice(yellow coloring of the skin and eyes as well as paleness of skin,tongue)because of the loss of red blood cells. Infection with one type of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, if notpromptly treated, may cause kidney failure, seizures, and mental confusion.

You and your family canprevent malaria by:

·       Keeping mosquitoe+s from biting you, especially at night

·       Taking antimalarial drugs to destroy the parasites

·       Spraying insecticides on your home's walls to destroy adultmosquitoes that come inside

·       Sleeping under bed nets - especially effective if the bed netshave been treated with insecticide, and

·       Using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothing if out ofdoors at night

Prevention is better than cure

                                                                                                                               - Dr.Sunil Vaswani

                                                                                                                                Dr.sunil.vaswani@gmail.com

                `                                                                                                               9819151190