Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : August 2, 2020 10:09 PM IST
Malaria is transmitted from one person to another person through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. @Shutterstock
As the world focuses on battling the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) fears increased cases of malaria this year. In April, the UN health agency had warned that malaria deaths could double this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted malaria prevention and treatment. Luckily, this disease is an entirely preventable and treatable disease. The WHO also noted that protecting the efficacy of antimalarial medicines is critical to malaria control and elimination. In breakthrough research, scientists at the National Institute of Health (NIH) have discovered a new target for anti-malaria treatments.
The study, conducted in collaboration with other institutes, was designed to understand the mechanism of infection of the malarial parasite. The researchers have discovered a set of channels or holes that enable transport of lipids fat-like molecules between red blood cells and the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The parasite draws lipids from red blood cells to survive and grow within the host body. The discovery raises the possibility of treatments that block the flow of nutrients to starve the parasite.
Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted from one person to another person through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. As monsoon season provide a favorable environment for mosquitoes to breed, the disease is more common during the rainy season. According to WHO, there were about 228 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2018. The disease claimed more than 400,000 lives in the same year, 67% of which were among children under 5.
Usually, symptoms appear 10 15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms may include fever, headache, and chills, which may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria. These symptoms should be treated within 24 hours, else they can progress to severe illness and even lead to death. Severe malaria can cause severe anaemia, respiratory distress, or cerebral malaria in children. Adults with severe malaria may develop multi-organ failure.
Infants, children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, patients with HIV/AIDS, non-immune migrants, mobile populations and travellers are at considerably higher risk of contracting malaria, and developing severe disease
"National malaria control programmes need to take special measures to protect these population groups from malaria infection, taking into consideration their specific circumstances," WHO said.
According to WHO, vector control is the best way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission. The agency especially recommends two forms of vector control insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying.
An insecticide-treated net can provide both a physical barrier and an insecticidal effect. In 2018, about half of all people at risk of malaria in Africa were protected by an insecticide-treated net, a WHO report stated.
Indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides is another very effective measure to rapidly reduce malaria transmission. It involves spraying the inside of housing structures with an insecticide, typically once or twice per year.
WHO also recommends the use of antimalarial medicines to prevent malaria. For travellers, it suggests chemoprophylaxis, which suppresses the blood stage of malaria infections, thereby preventing malaria disease.
For pregnant women living in moderate-to-high transmission areas, intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is recommended at each scheduled antenatal visit after the first trimester.
Similarly, for infants living in high-transmission areas, WHO recommends 3 doses of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, which should be delivered alongside routine vaccinations.
