Malaria Essay -- essays research papers fc

Malaria is regarded as one of the worlds deadliest tropical parasitic unhealthinesss. It claims more lives than any former(a) communicable disease except tuberculosis. In Africa and other developing countries, it also accounts for gazillions of dollars in medical costs. Malaria, however, is a curable disease if promptly diagnosed and adequately treated.Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the poriferan plasmodium. In recent years, most cases in the U.S. necessitate been in people who have acquired the disease after travelling to tropical and sub-tropical areas. Over 200 million cases worldwide are reported each year.Estimates of deaths caused by malaria exceed 1 million each year, with the majority being African children. Other groups at risk hold pregnant women, foreign travelers, refugees, and laborers entering endemic areas. Malaria is customary in everywhere 100 countries around the world, the most of which located in Africa and South America.Predominance of Ma lariaToday, malaria is a public health problem in more than 90 countries. Worldwide prevalence of the disease is estimated to be over 200 million cases each year. More than 90% of all malaria cases come from sub-Saharan Africa. The geographical area affected by malaria has shrunk considerably in the past 50 years. Yet measures to control this epidemic are adequate less and less effective. Increased risk of the disease is linked with elaboration projects in undeveloped areas, particularly in the Amazon basin and in Southeast Asia. The rise of malaria is also linked to factors such as worldwide warming, poor health services, political upheavals and armed conflicts. Other causes of this spread include growing immunity of the parasites that cause the disease to new drugs. And with the growing popularity global travel, malaria is now showing up in developed countries. It is also re-emerging in areas where it has previously been under eradicated.SymptomsSymptoms of malaria vary depen ding on the specific type of parasite involved. These symptoms include high fever, chills, sweats, vomiting, and headaches. This would explain why malaria is often misdiagnosed as the flu. In severe cases the illness can progress to lethargy, respiratory failure, coma and death. If leave untreated, the symptoms may persist for weeks or even months. With some types of malaria, relapses may lead for years after treatment. ... ... infection from mosquitoes. Health departments assist travelers in ascertain what precautions are bespeaked.Drug and Vaccine DevelopmentDrugs designed to treat malaria are available on a very limited basis. Because of increasing resistance to drugs in many parts of the world, adequate treatment of malaria is becoming increasingly difficult. Although a few new drugs have appeared in the last 20 years, they are not scotchally available to many people who need them. In the last decade, considerable progress has been made in the search for a malaria vaccine . An effective vaccine would create a powerful gain to malaria control. More than a dozen candidate vaccines are currently in development, some of them in clinical trial. The hope is that an effective vaccine allow for be available within the next 7-15 years.REFERENCESA bibliography on the behavioral, social, and economic aspects of malaria and its control. c1978. World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland.(April 2000). Malaria Foundation International. On-line. procurable http//www.malaria.org/(April 2000). Travel health online. On-line. Available http//www.tripprep.com/travinfo/timala.html