• Question: How deadly is Malaria?

    Asked by anon-256585 to Sophie on 16 Jun 2020.
    • Photo: Sophie Adjalley

      Sophie Adjalley answered on 16 Jun 2020: last edited 16 Jun 2020 9:59 am

      Hi EvaR. Thank you for your question! We might forget that malaria can be very deadly. Almost half a million of malaria cases result in deaths every year, unfortunately. Most of those are children under the age of 5, but also immuno-compromised individuals (who might be affected by other illnesses in addition to malaria).
      That’s why it is important that the disease is diagnosed early on in the course of infection as treatments exist, can help alleviate symptoms and cure patients.

Comments

  • Photo: Alena

    Alena commented on :

    Hi Eva, there are 5 species of malaria parasites that infect humans and the effect of each one of them is different. In general, because they all infect red blood cells and the parasite destroys them as it multiplies, they all cause anemia, which means reduced red blood cell count in the blood and lower haemoglobin levels with the direct consequence of fatigue because of less effective oxygenation. As the immune system tries to fight the parasite, there are also fevers, shivers and headaches. But not all of the species lead to death. The most wildey spread and aggressive parasite is Plasmodium falciparum that can cause severe malaria which is characterised by very strong anemia, organ failure, cerebral malaria, unconsciousness and death.