While malaria cases are decreasing, there is still work to be done to eradicate the disease entirely. And today, as we observe World Malaria Day, here’s five shocking facts about the deadly disease.
Malaria is transmitted by female mosquitoes only
Malaria is caused by a handful of Plasmodium parasites. Those parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes in the Anopheles genus—and actually, only the females. Why the females? Because only female mosquitoes drink blood (they enjoy delicious mammalian blood to feed their developing eggs); males are comparatively tame, feeding on nectar from plants. There's one more factor that makes female Anopheles mosquitoes creepily vampire-like: they tend to feed from dusk until dawn.
Thousands die every year from taking fake anti-malaria drugs
The World Health Organisation has estimated that around 20 per cent of the one million deaths caused by malaria annually can be blamed on counterfeit drugs. Smithsonian Magazine recently exposed a Cambodian crime ring for selling malaria "medicines" to pharmacies that turned out to be bags of flour.
Drinking beer may increase chances of infection
Mosquitoes love the smell of beer, according to scientists at the University of Emory. Knocking back a can or two causes your body to produce an odour that is irresistible to the malaria-carrying insects, the 2010 study found. So, if you are travelling in a malaria-infected area, steer clear of the beer.
Malaria can recur
Even after you are cured of the disease, there is an increased risk that malaria can recur. This is the reason, the WHO recommends continuing anti plasmodium therapy for at least three to five days, depending on the type of malaria. It will ensure the parasite is completely eradicated from the patient’s body as it has a tendency to remain dormant in the liver and recur once the person’s immune system has been compromised.
Pregnant women are at increased risk
Pregnant women are at high risk of dying from the complications of severe malaria. Malaria is also a cause of spontaneous abortion, premature delivery, stillbirth and severe maternal anaemia, and is responsible for about one third of preventable low-birth-weight babies. For pregnant women living in moderate-to-high transmission areas, WHO recommends intermittent preventive treatment at each scheduled antenatal visit after the first trimester.
