By Nitya Ramireddy
An estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred globally in just 2018. 405,000 people died, with the majority of these people being children in Africa.
Malaria is a disease that originated in Africa that comes from parasites in certain types of mosquitoes. It first started affecting human life around 10,000 years ago, but a huge outbreak swept the region of Africa in 2018. Around 2,000 malaria cases happen each year in America and mostly occur due to travelers or people who immigrated from Africa or South Asia. Malaria spreads by insect bites/stings, and sometimes, by blood products. It is the most common in the African region.
Malaria in children:
Hypoglycemia, anemia, and cerebral malaria are some possible causes of Malaria, and these complications are more common for children rather than adults. Children that are under the age of 5 are considered the most vulnerable to Malaria. For children without a strong immune system, death happens very quickly.
Symptoms:
Typically people infected with Malaria experience chills, flu-like symptoms, and can get very sick with high fevers. In some severe cases, death is the final result, however, in most situations, that can be prevented. Other symptoms include headaches, weakness, nausea, and dizziness.
Prevention: Malaria can be prevented by travelers who travel to the Africa Region. Often people avoid malaria-heavy sites and use repellents or bed nets to avoid mosquito bites. People who travel to malaria-heavy countries take drugs before, during, and after the trip.
Treatment:
Typically, developing a vaccine against parasites is complex and difficult. Due to the complicated malaria parasite, the creation of a vaccine is extremely difficult, but is in the works and has seen progress recently.
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