Malaria Protection For Your Family
Did you know that just a single bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito can give you malaria? While preventable and curable, if not treated early, malaria can be fatal. This is essential to understand as a parent, as you can look for the signs to prevent any negative outcomes for you and your family. According to the World Malaria Report released in December 2018, stats for 2017 concluded that in 90 countries there were over 219 million malaria cases and 435,000 preventable deaths.
So What Do You Need To Know?
Malaria is caused by the plasmodium parasites that infect the Anopheles mosquito and spread in the salvia when an infected mosquito bites a person for a blood meal. Only five plasmodium parasites cause malaria in humans. Two species. P. falciparum and P. vivax account for the majority of malaria cases, with the former being most severe.
Malaria Areas And Seasons In Southern Africa
Malaria areas in South Africa include north-eastern parts of Limpopo, the Mpumalanga lowveld, northern KwaZulu-Natal, all border regions of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique. Malaria season in South Africa is from September to the end of May. In Malawi, Mozambique and the low-veld regions of Swaziland, the season is year round. Botswana and Namibia also have seasonal risk.
If proper precaution is not taken, anyone can get bitten, but complications may be more serious in high-risk individuals. These include pregnant women, babies and children under five years of age, cancer patients on chemotherapy, immune-compromised people and the elderly. These persons are advised not to travel to malaria areas.
How Can You Prevent Malaria?
Take prophylactic medication
See your GP or a local travel clinic for a prescription for anti-malarial prophylaxis. Even if you are travelling outside of the malaria season, consult your doctor for advice.
Anti-malaria medication must be taken both prior, during and after your trip, depending on the which medication your doctor selects for you and your family. Tell your doctor about any chronic medication you take and for female patients, if you are take the oral contraceptive pill.
The medication is available in tablet or capsule form for adults and syrup for children. Always take the medication exactly as your doctor prescribes and ensure that dosages of the syrup for children are adhered to. If you do contract malaria, the medication works to kill off the parasites during the development stage – before you even know you have malaria.
Prevent mosquito bites
Use the following as a guide to prevent getting bitten in the first place. This is your best defence.
- If windows and doors do not have mosquito screens, close them as the sun sets
- Burn insecticide oils, mats or coils in the room throughout the day
- Use a mosquito room spray as dusk falls. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for use
- As night falls, cover your arms (a light, long sleeve T-shirt is fine) and put on socks to cover your ankles. If you are going out before the sun rises, keep arms and legs covered. Be aware that mosquitoes can still bite you through your clothing, so it’s best to have repellant on at all times after dusk, or even during the day in an area with high prevalence of mosquitoes
- Apply insect repellent directly to exposed skin – follow guidelines given by the manufacturer
- Run a fan in the room during the night
- Sleep under a mosquito net. Call your accommodation and ask if they supply one, if not, take along your own
Look for an monitor any symptoms
The malaria incubation time is between two and three weeks, but symptoms can take as long as 35 days to manifest. Symptoms include: headache; fever and chills; sweating; muscle aches, fatigue; vomiting; stomach cramps; diarrhoea; jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and increased heart rate. If you or anyone in your family has any of these symptoms and have travelled to a malaria area, you must consult your doctor immediately. Treatment is available.
Resources: Information: www.who.int Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash