Malaria
A potentially fatal disease, malaria is usually transmitted through an infected mosquito’s bite. These Anopheles mosquitoes carry a parasite called plasmodium which, once in the bloodstream, makes its way to your liver. If untreated for several days, the parasites mature and begin infecting the RBCs, multiplying, and bursting the infected cells. These parasites will continue to grow and infect, leading to symptoms that may occur in specific cycles and last for a couple of days at any given time.
Malaria symptoms tend to develop between ten days to a month following the initial infection. However, it’s also not uncommon for symptoms to develop for a few months, as some parasites may lay dormant longer than others. Its common symptoms include shaking, chills, high fever, profuse sweating, headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anemia, diarrhea, convulsions, muscle pain, dark urine, and bloody stools. It can be life-threatening if left unchecked, but various treatment options and medications exist for different parasites. But the best way to prevent the disease is by avoiding places where they’re most familiar.
