Malaria Information
Malaria is one of the ailments spread by mosquitoes. It is a highly contagious disease caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. More specifically, there are 5 species of this protist that can infect humans but only 4 are transmitted by humans, with Plasmodium knowlesi transmitted from macaques to humans. Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae cause a mild form of malaria while Plasmodium falciparum causes the more severe form.
Even with the advanced technologies available today, millions of people develop malaria every year. The main reason for this is poverty in the areas where malaria is prevalent, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Close to a million people continue to die because of this ailment.
Prevention Of Malaria
As with many ailments and diseases, prevention is still so much better than cure, especially in a deadly disease like malaria. The following methods can be done to prevent the spread of this disease:
- Keep the surroundings clean at all times. Mosquitoes breed in areas and containers with still or stagnant water.
- Use mosquito repellents.
- Use mosquito nets.
- Vaccination is one of the best prevention options, especially when one is traveling to areas where malaria is prevalent.
- If pregnant, very old or very young, avoid areas where malaria is present.
- As much as possible, outdoor activities should be limited between dusk and dawn.
Cures For Malaria
There are available home remedies that can help treat this rather dangerous and sometimes deadly disease. Here are some home remedy suggestions:
- One of the simplest remedies that the patient can make and drink every day is the mixture that uses a teaspoon each of cinnamon powder and honey mixed with a glass of water and a pinch of black pepper. Boil this mixture and cool down slightly. Drink this warm.
- Another possible herbal remedy that the patient can take when he/she has malaria is one that is made with holy basil leaves. Just add some leaves of the holy basil in a pot of boiling water and drink this mixture. The patient can also eat the fresh leaves of this herb to help with malaria.
- Ginger and raisins are also considered a mix that can work to treat malaria. Just mix three teaspoons of raisins and a peeled and sliced piece of ginger into a glass of boiling water. Let this boil down until only half of the liquid remains. Cool this down a bit and drink it. This is also said to help treat problems with malaria.
