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6 easy ways to prevent malaria

Malaria is a deadly infectious disease and is highly prevalent in India. Malaria is caused by the mosquito-borne plasmodium parasite and since mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, and hence the arrival of monsoon marks a steep rise in the number of cases. There’s no vaccine currently available for malaria and hence it is best prevented! You may like to know how malaria is treated.

Following are preventive measures, and common symptoms of this deadly disease

Preventive measures

  • Use of mosquito net over beds at night. An Insecticide net, which is a specially medicated preventive barrier that has been treated with chemicals to kill mosquitoes. It does not have any ill effects on humans. It has to be in a good condition with no holes and is properly tucked in to be effective.

  • Spraying the room often with an insecticide before sleeping.

  • Wearing loose-fitting tops with long sleeves, trousers and socks when out at dusk or at night. Light color clothing is better because the mosquitoes are attracted to darker areas.

  • Apply a reliable insect repellent containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) to skin and clothes. Local pharmacy can advise on a good one. If you are using sunscreen, it should be applied first and the insect repellent second. The repellent will not work if you cover it with a thick layer of sunscreen. Alternatively, use a sunscreen that contains a repellent.

  • Cover bedroom doors and windows with fine mesh netting.
    Use air-conditioning or a fan in the room, as mosquitoes are less active in cooler temperatures.

  • Mosquitoes thrive very well in humid, hot corners. This means an environment with constantly wet grass, stagnated water in cans (rubbish), puddles and stagnant water, etc will provide fertile grounds for mosquitoes to breed and multiply. Keep doors and windows clear of things that mosquitoes can hide in. This will prevent them from breeding

Symptoms

The symptoms start around 7-10 days after being bitten by a carrier mosquito. The patient feels fatigued, has bouts of fever every few hours, shivers even when the outside temperature is normal, and suffers from headache, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. If immune system is weak, the symptoms may get triggered sooner than usual.

On severe signs of these symptoms it is pertinent to undergo tests and get a proper diagnosis as soon as possible. Malaria can be cured easily if diagnosed at an early stage. It is exceedingly difficult to treat malaria if it is in an advanced stage because the parasites keep on reproducing, leaving the body prone to further infections.

The disease is normally diagnosed by the examination of blood using blood films or with antigen-based diagnostic tests. Transmission of malaria can be prevented with the use of mosquito nets and insect repellents. Although no vaccine exists yet, development is in progress. Severe malaria is treated with quinine or artesunate and mefloquine.

Photo source: Getty images