Healthy Living and Fitness

Illness Care: Malaria

Medication

Travellers can prevent malaria by avoiding mosquito bites and by taking an anti-malarial drug (prophylaxis) that kills the parasite before symptoms can develop. In high-risk P. falciparum areas, taking malaria prophylaxis can truly be a matter of life or death because P. falciparum infections can be fatal, even with prompt and appropriate treatment. In lower-risk areas, and for brief visits, travellers can opt to take strong measures to prevent mosquito bites instead of using prophylaxis; at the first sign of malaria symptoms, though, the traveller should seek medical care or take a self-treatment dose of antimalarial drug. Ideally, travellers should always take malaria prophylaxis when needed, but avoid taking it in destinations that don't pose a true risk.

Several drugs can be taken to prevent an attack of malaria. Those currently available do not prevent the initial infection of the liver. Instead, they are present in the blood stream to kill the parasite when it leaves the liver, thereby preventing it from infecting red blood cells and causing symptoms. Travellers must take these drugs for four weeks after leaving the malaria-risk area to make sure medication is in the bloodstream when the parasite emerges. These drugs include:

• Mefloquine (Lariam)
• Doxycycline. (Not used in pregnant women or children younger than age 8)
• Malarone is also an option for prevention and treatment of P. falciparum malaria
• Chloroquine can still be used in certain areas of the world where the parasite is still sensitive to it. It should not be used in patients with epilepsy or psychiatric disorders.

Because P. vivax malaria can persist in the liver for an extended time, a malaria attack may occur months after you have stopped taking the prophylaxis.
There is currently no vaccine against malaria.

 

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