What is malaria?

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that enters the human body through the bite of a mosquito. The mosquito acts as a vector of the parasite. It usually presents with high fever and chills, but do remember that not all fevers are due to malaria. It is endemic in India and several other regions in the world.

Are children more prone to malaria?
Young children (between the ages of 6 months and 36 months) are more prone to developing malaria and can develop severe illness. Another vulnerable group is pregnant women, who can then go on to deliver low birth-weight children, or, in rare cases, there may be a stillbirth. Due to repeated exposure, adults and older children develop some immunity and either don’t get malaria or have milder attacks.

My child was bitten by a mosquito yesterday! He is running a fever; can he have malaria?
This is extremely unlikely! It takes anywhere between 12 and 35 days after being bitten by a mosquito that is carrying the parasite to start showing signs of malaria. Again, not all mosquitoes are carriers of the malaria parasite, but since it is impossible to know, it is better to take sensible precautions.

What are the usual symptoms of malaria?

• Fever: Usually high (in our country, we have a high index of suspicion in all patients who have a fever of short duration) and usually accompanied by –
• Chills: Usually occurs at the height of fever and may be so severe that the whole body can be seen to be shaking.
• General feeling of ill health and fatigue
• Sweating
• Headache
• May have chest symptoms like a cough.
• Abdominal symptoms like anorexia, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, or diarrhea
• Joint pains
• Muscle pains

When should I take my child to the doctor?
Fever is one of the most typical symptoms in children. One should take care of the fever first. Then, if it occurs repeatedly, or if it is associated with chills, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Will the doctor order blood tests, and why are they necessary?
If your doctor strongly suspects malaria, it is mandatory to get a simple blood test done. This is to confirm the diagnosis. It also helps identify different types of malaria parasites. Each has a different treatment schedule, and your child can be put on the appropriate one.

What is the treatment, Doctor?
In most children, medicines are given by mouth as per schedule. This schedule varies depending on the type of malarial parasite that is detected.
However, some children require admission:

• Have symptoms suggesting involvement of the brain, like drowsiness, altered consciousness, or convulsions
• Have unremitting vomiting or inability to ingest even simple fluids.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• If the child is passing a minimal amount of urine or very infrequently.
• If blood tests indicate a very high parasite load, or very low hemoglobin, or low blood glucose.
• If the child develops bleeding from any site in the body.

How do we prevent malaria?
Take a look at the measures outlined here.