World Mosquito Day is observed on 20th August every year to build awareness on various diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The day is marked to honour Sir Ronald Ross, a British doctor, who first discovered in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes spread malaria between humans. Since then, humankind has seen radical changes in the fight against malaria, dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Mosquito-borne diseases affect about 700 million people worldwide every year, leading to over a million deaths*. Awareness around symptoms and preventive measures is the need of the hour. How much do you know about the two most common mosquito-borne illnesses – malaria and dengue? Let’s take a look at their symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention measures.
What is malaria?
A potentially life-threatening disease, malaria is transmitted via the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito carrying the malarial parasite - Plasmodium. Once the parasite reaches your bloodstream, it moves into the liver to mature, post which it infects red blood cells. The parasite then multiplies, making the red cells burst open.
What are the symptoms of malaria?
If a mosquito infected by malaria bites you, symptoms will show up within 10 days to 4 weeks. Symptoms include –
- High fever and chills
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Profuse sweating
- Stomach pain and diarrhoea
- Muscle pain
- Coma
How is malaria diagnosed and treated?
If you experience the above symptoms, your doctor may prescribe blood tests to check for malaria. If the diagnosis is positive, you’ll then be promptly required to take anti-malarial medication. Your malaria treatment can be at home or in the hospital, based on the degree of symptoms. It is crucial to complete the entire course of medicines so that the disease does not appear again, with even worse symptoms. If the symptoms are severe, such as persistent fever, continuous vomiting, convulsions, etc., the treating doctor would ask you to get admitted to the nearest hospital immediately.
How can I prevent catching a malarial infection?
As of today, there is no vaccine for malaria. The best way to prevent malaria is to ensure you keep yourself away from mosquitoes. If you live in an area where mosquitoes are common, use mosquito coils, vaporisers or nets while sleeping. Wear full-sleeved shirts and long pants while travelling to an area known to have a lot of mosquitoes. Also, use mosquito repellent on exposed skin.
What is dengue?
Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito carrying the dengue virus. This viral infection shows flu-like symptoms and can be potentially lethal in severe cases. It is a leading cause of hospitalisation in Asian and Latin American regions.