The diagnosis of malaria was confirmed in the case of two of the three children from Iasi who returned from a trip to the African continent. The brothers, aged 3 and 5, are now hospitalized at the “Victor Babeș” Infectious Diseases Hospital in Bucharest. Their condition is good, confirmed the manager of the medical unit, Dr. Simin-Aysel Florescu.
What is malaria and how does it manifest itself
Malaria is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which enter the human body through the bite of an infected mosquito. After infection, the parasites multiply in the liver and then attack the red blood cells, causing the specific symptoms of the disease.
“The first manifestation begins with fever and chills. These are the first signs. And I can continue with headaches, muscle pain, general malaise, even diarrhea. If it is not treated in time, in the first five to six days after the onset of the disease, it can develop with the most severe complications, up to death“, says Dr. Simin-Aysel Florescu, the manager of the “Victor Babeș” Hospital.
Fortunately, in the case of the two children, aged 3 and 5, it was intervened in time, so their condition is good, and they are now undergoing treatment.
The disease is not contagious.
“It is not transmitted between people. It’s a vector-borne disease. Rarely there are other ways of transmission, through exposure to infected blood. But that’s not our case”emphasizes the doctor.
Doctors recommend prophylactic treatment before traveling to potentially endemic areas
“For those who travel to malaria endemic areas, we recommend anti-malaria prophylaxis with a specific medication. Which, of course, depends on the age, the general characteristics of each traveler”says the manager from Victor Babeș.
According to the doctor, many do not want this treatment because of specific reasons and in the case of vaccination: lack of information or lack of trust in medicine.
Other general recommendations are:
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the use of mosquito nets
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application of insect repellents
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wearing clothing that covers the skin
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avoiding exposure at night (when mosquitoes are active)
What are the endemic areas?
Malaria is endemic and present throughout the year in countries such as:
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
Significant risk also exists in the following countries, especially in rural areas and near forests:
