Malaria
What can be done to prevent the infection?
People who travel to an area where malaria exists should take antimalarial
medications. The exact medication depends on the area and the type of
Plasmodium there. Travelers can also help prevent mosquito bites by doing the following:
wearing protective clothing
wearing light clothing at night
avoiding the outdoors at night
using mosquito netting while sleeping
using insect repellents
What are the long-term effects of the infection?
Long-term effects that may result if malaria is untreated are as follows:
very low blood count
respiratory failure
kidney failure
jaundice, or yellowing of the
skin
low blood pressure
Infection in the central nervous system may cause the following:
confusion
decreased consciousness
seizures
possibly death
Some types of Plasmodium can cause chronic infection in the liver. This
can cause a relapse many years after the first infection.
What are the risks to others?
Malaria is not spread directly from person to person. But if a mosquito bites
an infected person, the mosquito can spread the disease to the next person it
bites. Malaria may pass through the placenta of a pregnant woman and infect her fetus.
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