Malaria can kill when neglected – Expert

THE medical doctor in-charge of General Hospital, Ifitedunu, Tochukwu Nweke, has cautioned that malaria, which some people take as ordinary can kill if neglected.

  Dr Nweke said this while fielding questions from health correspondents in his office at Ifitedunu in Dunukofia LGA.

  He described malaria as a disease condition caused by a parasite and is transmitted into human body through a female mosquito known as anopheles mosquitoe.

  “It is the female anopheles mosquito that transmits the parasite known as plasmodium into the body. This is transmitted through the mosquitoe bite; once it is ingested into the system, the parasites moves into the liver where malaria takes place.

  “The life cycle of malaria is in different stages: the egg, the lava, puppa and the adult stages. These are some of the processes it takes to complete a cycle”, Nweke explained.

  Malaria disease, according to Dr Nweke, is of different types ranging from uncomplicated, complicated, acute, severe to cerebral type. Diagonises and treatment can only commence when the type is known.

  He noted that one of the cardinal symptoms of malaria is fever, and known as step ladder pattern in the observable symptoms. This type of fever comes and goes.

  “Sometimes, when a patient visits hospital, the doctor can check the temperature and it could be normal at that moment, the next minute it will be high. Other symptoms include malaise, body pains, weakness and headache”, he noted.

 Dr Nweke warned that severe malaria has the same symptoms enumerated above, but with cardinal signs, it is very dangerous if treatment did not commence immediately.

  “Severe malaria comes with high fever which is consistent, with high temperature.

  Other symptoms of severe malaria are anaemia which is low haemoglobin level, low sugar which can be detected by laboratory test.

  “Loss of consciousness and convulsion are among the symptoms of severe malaria and if not treated on time, might result to death”, the medical doctor retirated.

  He added that “Cerebral malaria may present symptoms more than severe malaria, it comes with persistent seizure and unconsciousness.”

  Dr Nweke advised Ndi Anambra to sleep inside long lasting insecticidal nets, keep their environment clean, keep away empty cans that can store water, and make use of insecticides. 

  The medical director also pleaded with the government to subsidise the cost of malaria drugs and continue to educate people on how to prevent malaria, noting that prevention is better than cure.

  He urged everyone to visit hospitals and get treated on time to avoid something fatal.