Malaria is a serious and sometimes life-threatening tropical disease caused by the parasite and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Although the continent has been certified by WHO as a "malaria-free country", there is still a risk of malaria transmission in some border areas. When travelling abroad, especially in some African countries, there is also a risk of contracting malaria. So, what are the types of malaria and what are the symptoms of infection?
Malaria is caused by Plasmodium malaria, which is affected by 5 species, including Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium trichophyllum and Plasmodium Nords. Among them, malaria parasite is the most prevalent, and plasmodium falciparum is the malaria parasite with the highest fatality rate in patients. Plasmodium vivax is the most common malaria parasite outside of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Asia and Latin America. Plasmodium falciparum, the most common malaria parasite in Africa, multiplies very quickly, causing severe blood loss and blockages in infected people. Plasmodium falciparum also causes serious complications, including severe anaemia and end-organ damage, including coma (cerebral malaria), pulmonary complications (e.g., edema and respiratory syndrome), hypoglycemia, and acute kidney injury[1].
The symptoms after malaria infection are mainly divided into four periods: incubation period, chilling period, fever period, and sweating period. From the infestation period of human infection with Plasmodium malaria to the onset of the disease, there are generally 14 days of vivax and ovate malaria, 12 days of falciparum malaria, and 30 days of three-day malaria. Due to the different amounts, types and methods of infection of protozoa in different populations, and the difference in human immunity, different groups of people will have different incubation periods. The incubation period of insect strains in temperate zones is long, up to 8 to 14 months; the incubation period of patients infected with Malaria parasite through blood transfusion can be as short as 7 to 10 days; and the incubation period is even shorter for mother-to-child transmission of malaria.
After the onset of malaria, it will first enter a cold phase, and patients will be afraid of cold, feel cold at the ends of the limbs, and chills all over the body. The patient has goosebumps on his skin, cyanosis on his lips and nails, a pale complexion, and sore muscles and joints throughout his body. Symptoms of shaking and teeth fluttering appear, each episode lasts from 10 minutes to an hour, after which the chills stop and body temperature rises. Chills and chills are caused by the proliferation of plasmodium schizoites in the internal stage of red blood cells, which causes a large number of red blood cells to rupture, and the discharge of schizoites, a variety of metabolites, and broken red blood cells stimulates the thermoregulatory center, resulting in dysfunction of the body temperature center. When the body temperature adjustment point moves upwards, the body's own body temperature is high, and the temperature difference with the outside world increases, and it will feel unusually cold and chills [1].
Patients enter a fever phase after a chilling period. After the disappearance of chills, the patient's body temperature rises rapidly, and usually the more pronounced the chill, the higher the body temperature, which can reach more than 40 ° C. Some patients experience severe headaches, vomiting, palpitations, and thirst. Fever generally lasts 2 to 6 hours, with individual patients lasting up to more than ten hours [1].
After high fever, the patient begins to enter a period of sweating. The patient is sweating profusely, his clothes are soaking, and his body temperature is reduced. At this point, the patient feels comfortable and sleepy, wakes up after falling asleep and returns to normal, and then enters an intermittent period [1].
In recent years, customs offices in many mainland cities have found a number of malaria patients entering the country. Malaria preparedness therefore remains important. If you need to travel to countries where malaria is transmitted, be sure to take precautions and see a doctor if you find symptoms of discomfort.
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Duan Yinong. Modern Parasitics. 2nd Edition. Modern Parasitics. 2nd edition, 2015