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The number of people diagnosed with malaria here this summer has risen in a rapid pace due to the hot and humid weather.
According to the government, the number of Gyeonggi Province residents diagnosed with malaria marked 355 as of July, about 33 percent jump from 267 a year ago. The health administration expects some people in the northern Seoul might have been infected with the disease, too.
According to the World Health Organization’s definition, malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.
Malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs if not treated, the WHO explains.
Dr. Park Yoon-sun of the National Health Insurance Corporation’s Ilsan Hospital shared some basic information about the disease.
1. What causes malaria?
- The disease is delivered by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites an infected person, a small amount of blood is taken with malaria parasites. These grow inside the mosquito and are carried to another person when the insect targets another blood meal.
The disease is not transmittable through skin, sharing dishes or secretions.
2. Why now?
-There are various reasons but the main cause will be the high temperature and humidity. Then, the fact that disinfection in the North Korean territory has been poorly performed for the past year has contributed to the unusually large number in the northern Gyeonggi area, which shares borderline with North Korea.
3. What are the symptoms?
-The main symptoms are high fever that sometimes soars above 40 degrees Celsius but once it goes down, then comes extreme chill. Malaria is often dubbed “three-day illness” because extreme symptoms last for about 48 to 72 hours.
The patients also suffer disgust, exhaustion, anemia and several others. They usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. This cycle repeats several times.
4. How do you treat?
- Ways to control malaria include prompt and effective treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies and many others. Also, taking prevention pills helps despite several side effects.
5. How can you prevent the transmission?
-The most common methods are the use of insecticidal nets by people at risk; and indoor residual spraying with insecticide to control the vector mosquitoes.
Also,
1. Refrain from visiting outside in the evening till dawn.
2. Try to wear long sleeves and long trousers. Avoid wearing black color because mosquitoes like it.
3. Try to adapt repellent on the skin exposed.
4. Use mosquito nets all the time indoors.
