ARTICLE WRITING
a) You are Dr. Bharat Sinha. The Health centre has asked you to write an article to spread awareness
about Malaria. Highlight the causes of Malaria and ways to prevent it. (Word limit 100-120)
Answers
Explanation:
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals.[2] Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches.[1] In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma, or death.[1] Symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.[2] If not properly treated, people may have recurrences of the disease months later.[2] In those who have recently survived an infection, reinfection usually causes milder symptoms.[1] This partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria.[1]
Malaria
Malaria Parasite Connecting to Human Red Blood Cell (34034143483).jpg
Malaria parasite connecting to a red blood cell
Pronunciation
/məˈlɛəriə/
Specialty
Infectious disease
Symptoms
Fever, vomiting, headache[1]
Complications
Yellow skin, seizures, coma[1]
Usual onset
10–15 days post exposure[2]
Causes
Plasmodium spread by mosquitos[1]
Diagnostic method
Examination of the blood, antigen detection tests[1]
Prevention
Mosquito nets, insect repellent, mosquito control, medications[1]
Medication
Antimalarial medication[2]
Frequency
216 million (2016)[3]
Deaths
445,000 to 731,000[3][4]
It is caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group.[2] The disease is most commonly spread by an infected female Anopheles mosquito.[2] The mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito's saliva into a person's blood.[2] The parasites travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce.[1] Five species of Plasmodium can infect and be spread by humans.[1] Most deaths are caused by P. falciparum because P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae generally cause a milder form of malaria.[1][2] The species P. knowlesi rarely causes disease in humans.[2] Malaria is typically diagnosed by the microscopic examination of blood using blood films, or with antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests.[1] Methods that use the polymerase chain reaction to detect the parasite's DNA have been developed, but are not widely used in areas where malaria is common due to their cost and complexity.[5]
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.[1