What is Malaria?
- Malaria is a disease characterized by fever which is caused by the bite of female anopheles mosquito. In Nagaland, two types of malaria are found: malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax and malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Falciparum malaria is the more severe of the two.
What are the signs and symptoms of Malaria?
- Fever with chills and rigor
- Associated with headache and vomiting
- Sweating after each episode of fever
- Feeling of weakness and tiredness
- Danger signs of severe malaria are: High fever with change in behavior, consciousness, drowsiness, inability to sit or walk; repeated vomiting; passage of small quantity urine/ no urine/black urine; severe diarrhea and dehydration; unexplained heavy bleeding from nose, gums, or other sites.
How is Malaria Spread?
- When an infected female anopheles mosquito bites a healthy human being, the parasite spreads in the body of the individual and the person gets sick after a few days.
- When a mosquito bites such a malaria patient, the parasite enters the mosquito with the blood meal and multiplies there.
Where does the malaria transmitting mosquito breed?
- Mosquito breeds in stagnant water. The female mosquito lays eggs on the surface of water. After a few days, larva emerges from the eggs which grow into adult mosquitoes.
- Mosquito breeding place in the cities are: overhead open water tanks, broken utensils, discarded tyres, utensils without cover, construction sites, clogged drains, potholes, etc.
- Mosquito breeding sites in the villages are: Paddy fields, ponds covered with grass/swamp, unused wells, wheel tracks, animal hoof marks, peri-domestic water collections.
How do we care for patients who are suspected to be suffering from Malaria?
- First and most important is to do a blood test to diagnose malaria. Testing facilities are available in all Health centers and Government Hospitals all over Nagaland free of cost.
- If malaria is confirmed, early and complete treatment is essential. Medicines for both types of malaria are made available for free in all Govt. Health Centers & Government Hospitals
How can we control malaria?
- Remove breeding site (stagnant water bodies) of mosquitoes as stated above
- Fit wire-netting (screening) of doors and windows of houses
- Use mosquito nets. Insecticide treated bed nets are available which not only act as physical barriers, but also reduce mosquito population.
- Use mosquito repellent cream or coil/liquidator
- Wear clothes that covers the body while going outdoors in mosquito infested areas
- Rear larvivorous fishes (which eats up mosquito larva) in stagnant water bodies
- Spread awareness on control of vector and to seek early medical care.
Issued by National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP): Directorate of Health and Family Welfare
Nagaland; Kohima.
