Signs, Symptoms, and Complications of Malaria - Fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches are common symptoms - Severe cases can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death - Symptoms usually appear 10 to 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito - Recurrences of the disease can occur if not properly treated - Reinfection usually causes milder symptoms in those who have recently survived an infection - Respiratory distress can occur in severe cases - HIV coinfection increases mortality - Kidney failure may occur, leading to blackwater fever - Cerebral malaria can result in encephalopathy and retinal whitening - Enlarged spleen, enlarged liver, severe headache, low blood sugar, and haemoglobin in the urine may occur

Cause and Transmission of Malaria - Malaria is caused by infection with parasites in the Plasmodium genus - Six species of Plasmodium can infect humans, with P. falciparum and P. vivax being the most common - P. falciparum is associated with the majority of deaths - P. vivax can also cause potentially life-threatening conditions - P. vivax is more common outside Africa - Malaria is transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes - Mosquitoes become infected by biting a person who already has malaria - The parasites, called sporozoites, travel to the liver and multiply - Infected hepatocytes release merozoites into the bloodstream - Merozoites invade red blood cells and replicate, spreading the infection

Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria - Malaria is typically diagnosed through microscopic examination of blood or rapid diagnostic tests - Polymerase chain reaction methods can detect the parasites' DNA but are not widely used in malaria-endemic areas - Preventing mosquito bites is crucial in reducing the risk of malaria - Several medications are available to prevent and treat malaria - Artemisinin-based combination therapy is the recommended treatment for malaria

Impact and Prevalence of Malaria - Malaria is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions around the equator - In 2021, there were 247 million cases of malaria worldwide, resulting in an estimated 619,000 deaths - 77% of deaths occurred in children under 5 years old - Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest number of cases and deaths - Malaria is associated with poverty and has a significant negative impact on economic development, costing Africa $12 billion annually

Prevention and Control of Malaria - Two malaria vaccines, RTS,S and Malaria vaccine#R21/Matrix-M, are approved for use in children by the WHO - Methods used to prevent malaria include medications, mosquito elimination, and prevention of mosquito bites - Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have significantly contributed to the decrease in malaria cases - ITNs help reduce infection rates and transmission of malaria - Indoor residual spraying involves spraying insecticides on the walls inside homes - Modifying houses can be a sustainable strategy to prevent malaria - Efforts to decrease mosquito larvae and open water availability can also help control malaria