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Malaria Symptoms

Date: Throughout history.

Location: Worldwide.

Disaster Type: Infectious disease.

Fatalities: Around half a million deaths per year.

So what exactly is Malaria, and how deadly is it?

Malaria is a microorganism called a Plasmodium which is carried by infected insects, typically a mosquito. When a mosquito bites someone, there is a chance that the person could be infected from the saliva from a biting female mosquito. This microorganism is then able to travel, via the blood stream, to the liver in order to multiply. Unlike a usual virus or bacteria, this is a parasite that can take several days or weeks to mature inside the human body.

The symptoms typically include fever and headaches, even leading to a coma or death in more extreme cases. This disease is still widespread in Africa, parts of Asia and Central America, where a large number of mosquitoes can be found. There are various species of plasmodium, with some being more deadly than others. The microorganism matures faster and in greater numbers in hot, humid climates. Since insect bites are required to become infected, the reduction of insects with the help of insecticides and nets can help slow down the disease's ability to spread over a region.

Diagnosis is carried out with a blood test that can be easily done in a lab. While efforts are being made to create an effective vaccine, there are none available right now. Several medications are available to fight off the disease including artemisinins and quinine. These either attack the parasite itself or attempt to stop the initial infection. Some medications can be taken before someone visits a malaria prone area, and then, all throughout the visit. Because several types of plasmodium are immune to various medications, some drugs often have to be taken in tandem.

Malaria is considered by health organizations as one of the worse diseases in the world. In 2010 for example, there were 219 million cases of malaria with a reported 600,000 death toll. Estimates show that with the unreported cases, there could well be over a million deaths per year due to malaria. The disease is endemic in many regions around the equator and those visiting these areas have to be very careful. 90% of deaths are reported in sub-Saharan Africa, often in regions where anti-malaria drugs cannot easily be found.

It is suspected that this parasite has existed for well over 50,000 years, although the advances in agriculture played a role in increasing the population of parasites. Some scientists believe that some types of plasmodium originated from apes. The disease plays a large role in slowing down economic development of regions at risk and has been known to influence some wars, such as the African campaigns during the medieval period. While there is no way to eliminate the disease yet, many medications exist and experimental vaccines are always in development.