Antimalarials

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites which are transmitted through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species p.falciparum and p.vivax pose the highest threat.

If you are planning to travel, speak to one of our pharmacists to establish if you require antimalarial drugs. The pharmacist will check the risk of malaria and also the type of activities you will be carrying out to decide if you will need anti-malarial drugs.

There are three types of antimalarial drugs available, Doxycycline, Malarone (generic and branded) and Lariam. During your consultation, a pharmacist will explain which antimalarial drugs are suitable for you and the main pros and cons of each type.

If you are planning on travelling, please book a consultation well in advance or visit our pharmacy so that you can receive the maximum projection from the drugs. Also, the pharmacist will give you advice on how to minimize your risk of mosquito bites and other appropriate precautions for your travel.

Malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread by mosquitos in some parts of the world.

Causes of Malaria

The cause of Malaria is Plasmodium parasite. It is neither a virus nor a bacterium but a single celled parasite that multiples itself inside human red blood cells. The parasite can be spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

Antimalarials

Antimalarials are tablets taken before you travel to reduce the risk of malaria infection. It is a preventative measure.

There is an ABCD approach to malaria prevention as shown in this short video by Valneva.

 

 

Malaria Cure

Prescription drugs could be used to cure malaria.

As there are different types of malaria, the treatment duration and drug type will depend on what type of malaria is being cured and when the person was infected.

Malaria Life cycle

The parasite that causes malaria develops in the human red blood cells and also in the intestine of female Anopheles mosquitoes. You can study the full malaria lifecycle on malariavaccine.org website.

Malaria Facts

1. Malaria is a deadly disease transmitted by mosquito bite. Though it is both preventable and curable.

2. There were an estimated 2019 million cases of malaria found in around 90 countries in the year 2017.

You can find more facts about malaria on World Health Organisation website.