Malaria Diagnostics: Now and The Future

Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted by the female mosquito. The symptoms of the disease include headache, vomiting, fever, and weakness.

Download Hassle Free PDF: https://bit.ly/2yZQuZm

Malaria is one of the most widespread life-threatening diseases that is found in the tropical and subtropical regions due to changing climate, low economic growth, underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure, and lack of access to advanced treatment.

The risk of disease can be reduced by preventing mosquito bites through the use of mosquito nets and insect repellents, or with mosquito control measures such as spraying insecticides and draining standing water.

Several medications are available to prevent malaria in travelers to areas where the disease is common. Occasional doses of the combination medication sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine are recommended in infants and after the first trimester of pregnancy in areas with high rates of malaria.

As of 2020, there is one vaccine which has been shown to reduce the risk of malaria by about 40% in children in Africa. Efforts to develop more effective vaccines are ongoing. The recommended treatment for malaria is a combination of antimalarial medications that includes an artemisinin. The second medication may be either mefloquine, lumefantrine, or sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine.

Quinine along with doxycycline may be used if an artemisinin is not available. It is recommended that in areas where the disease is common, malaria is confirmed if possible before treatment is started due to concerns of increasing drug resistance.

Resistance among the parasites has developed to several antimalarial medications; for example, chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum has spread to most malarial areas, and resistance to artemisinin has become a problem in some parts of Southeast Asia.