Malaria and Monsoon Explained | Symptoms & Prevention of Malaria

The monsoon season is a period of great joy and anticipation in India. But along with it, come a host of viruses and diseases, some deadlier than others. Malaria is one such potentially life-threatening disease, usually occurring in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, which also happen to be the most densely populated. Nearly half the world’s population lives in at-risk areas like India.

In 2019, an estimated 4,09,000 people in the world died of Malaria, despite incremental measures taken by governments worldwide to reduce the spread of the disease. Interestingly, one of the more promising success stories comes from India, which reported a steep decline in malaria cases in 2019 over the previous year. India showed the largest drop in cases in South East Asia, from about 20 million to 6 million, also showing a significant decrease in deaths caused by Malaria, according to reports.

While the reduction in cases is good news and much desired, there is still work to be done in bringing it down further, given how severe and life-threatening it can be.

But first, let’s understand how malaria works:

Malaria is spread in humans through bites of certain mosquitoes. A female Anopheles mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite injects it into your bloodstream through a bite. The parasite reaches the liver through your bloodstream, where it incubates and multiplies before being released back into the bloodstream, infecting the red blood cells and undergoing further multiplication.

The resistance developed by mosquitoes towards drugs and medication has made it difficult to produce a vaccine, and essentially puts the onus of disease prevention on the individual.

What are the symptoms of malaria?

The parasite can remain in the liver for about 10 days before the symptoms begin to appear. The first few symptoms would usually include fever, headache and chills. These could be mild and difficult to diagnose accurately. If not treated within 24 hours, they could progress to severe illness, for which the symptoms include anaemia, respiratory distress, multiple organ failure, and eventually, death.

However, there have been a few cases of people developing partial immunity to the disease, especially those living in malaria-prone regions, causing asymptomatic infections to occur.

How is it malaria treated?

It is best when the symptoms are diagnosed early, to prevent disease escalation and death. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the best treatment available for malaria, especially the P. falciparum variety, which is the most lethal. ACT has a short half-life, and is usually partnered with antimalarial drugs for a longer half-life to clear the remaining parasites after the standard 3-day ACT treatment.

However, resistance to ACT is a growing concern. The efficacy of partner drugs is, therefore, critical in the fight against malaria. In 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) proposed a strategy to eliminate all species of human malaria by 2030, with priority given to areas exhibiting drug-resistance. All of this points to prevention being the most effective strategy to combat malaria.

How can malaria be prevented?

Prevention of malaria, or any other disease, involves striking at the root cause of the problem. In this case, it is the breeding of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes require stagnant water to lay their eggs. These eggs hatch anywhere between a few days to several months after being laid and being submerged in water. The female Anopheline mosquito requires blood meals before egg-laying, and it acquires the parasites from a previous human blood meal. This is then transmitted to a human through its bite.

Therefore, the best ways to avoid infection is to ensure mosquito breeding does not take place in your vicinity, and to avoid getting bitten in the first place. Here are a few preventive steps that can help:

1. Do not allow water to stagnate

Stagnant water is ideal for mosquito-breeding. During the monsoons, potholes, shallow depressions, and uncovered drains are prone to accumulation of water, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Take care to ensure that there are no stagnant water pools in your area. This can also include blocked drainage and sewage, canals, abandoned terraces, flower pots, or any openly stored materials that can collect water.

2. Use mosquito nets

Use mosquito nets when you sleep, especially if you like to keep the windows open at night. Further still, install nets on your windows. WHO recommends using insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITN) to further reduce contact between mosquitoes and humans.

3. Spray insecticide

Insecticides are another way to prevent malaria transmission by curtailing mosquito growth. Insecticides can be sprayed along open gutters and areas where mosquitoes are likely to breed. Furthermore, WHO recommends indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides to reduce the chances of mosquitoes wandering indoors.

4. Use repellants

There are several types of mosquito repellants available off the shelf. You can apply cream or gels on yourself to prevent mosquito interaction, or use the mosquito-repelling, vapour-based technology that’s readily available.

5. Cover yourself adequately

Wear full clothing when stepping outside in the evening, to prevent your arms and legs from getting bitten.

6. Mosquito fish

Harvesting mosquito fish in your neighbourhood pond or other water body will also help prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

Meanwhile scientists are developing malaria-resistant mosquitoes through genome sequencing in the hope that the mutation spreads across the mosquito population, thereby putting an end to human transmission.

Conclusion

While preventive measures can be taken, there is always a looming risk of infection because all it takes is one errant mosquito. This is where a health insurance policy such as the Niva Bupa Health ReAssure plan assumes significance as it can ensure that you get the best preventive care as well as curative treatment if infected. You can include your family members in this plan and enjoy cashless health insurance and No Claims Bonus booster benefit as well. Niva Bupa provides hassle-free health insurance claims and add-ons to choose from for comprehensive coverage.

The importance of health insurance cannot be stated enough with serious diseases such as malaria being prevalent in the country. Choose the right health insurance plan for you and your loved ones to stay financially protected in case of an unfavourable diagnosis, especially in the monsoon season.