Plasmodium Disease

The members of the class "Plasmodium" are responsible for causing malaria in humans. Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae cause chronic malaria. Plasmodium falciparum causes the most dangerous type of malaria. In this type, the infected cells stick together, and obstruct the blood vessels of the vital parts of the body, such as brain. The death can follow soon if immediate medical attention is not provided.

Symptoms

• The manifestation of disease appear 2 to 3 weeks after the parasites enter into the body. The common symptoms include, fever with severe rigors and teeth chattering, pain in limbs, and headaches. The temperature goes up to 104 to 105 degree Fahrenheit. The fever subsides after a few hours and is followed by sweating. The fever reappears every second or third day, and if untreated can continue up to 2 months or more. The victim becomes anemic, with enlarged liver, weak and poor in health and becomes easily susceptible to other infections.

Steps to Control Malaria

• The programs to control malaria have been undertaken by all the malaria infected countries around the world. These national efforts are supported and encouraged by many International agencies, like World Health Organization (WHO). Through these efforts in many countries, malaria at one stage was totally eradicated, but in the last couple of years, it has again reappeared. Such reappearance has demanded more thoughtful implementation of the programs, where individual citizen participation plays an important role.

  The devices suggested against the spreading of malaria fall under two categories --

  Methods of self-protection and direct attack on the mosquito.

Methods of Self-protection

• Intake of drug tablets like pyrimethamine, or chloroquine (once a week) and proguanil (one every day) regularly helps to destroy malarial parasites before they develop into harmful stages.

  Victims of malaria should consult physicians immediately for correct diagnosis and treatment. Since shivering, pain, headache and high fever may occur in other diseases, blood examination is the only conclusive test to confirm malarial infection.

  Certain chemicals act as repellents to mosquitoes. In malaria-infected areas, it is beneficiary to use these chemicals on the skin, clothing and bedding.

  To sleep under a mosquito-net is the most effective device to avoid the threat of malaria.

Methods of Attack on Mosquitoes

• The major thrust of malaria control program is towards the checking of the mosquito population. This is done in the following ways:

  Eliminating all the water-logged areas where the mosquitoes breed. Such areas could be swamps, ditches, empty cans and containers, and decaying leaves or any such things which can hold some water.

  Drains, ponds, pools and rivulets which cannot be blocked are sprayed with oils, like kerosene.

  The spraying of insecticides like BHC, DDT within the house helps in killing the mosquitoes.

Reappearance

• By adopting the above-mentioned methods, it was possible to eradicate malaria from many countries, but it reappeared for the following reasons:

  Insecticides tolerance of mosquitoes was increased and thus the recommended doses had become ineffective.

  Old victims of malaria continued to carry malaria parasites which were transmitted to others by the increased mosquito population.

  Economic conditions of the people have not improved enough to follow the malaria control steps.

New Malaria Eradication Program

• The new malaria eradication program is based on the above experiences. Instead of merely trying to conquer mosquitoes by indiscriminate use of insecticides, it stresses on the improvement of the health condition of the community. The aspects of prophylactic measures are given more importance, and rather than only self-defense, the defense of the entire community has been targeted.