India being a tropical country, is home to a huge number of mosquitoes in addition to more than a billion humans. From a mosquito's perspective India is the perfect feeding and breeding ground. A perfect example of that is the recent Dengue outbreak in Delhi. Dengue however is not the only disease mosquitoes spread. Malaria, chikungunya, dengue, are also carried by mosquitoes. Malaria single handedly claims more than a million lives yearly. Education about mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases is a must to ensure that your beloved child is not one of the victims of the 300-500 million cases detected every year.
Enemy - Malaria - Parasite
Carrier - Mosquito
Base camp/ Breeding Grounds - Stagnant Water, open garbage, open sewage, etc.
Vaccination - Extensive research going on. Not available as of yet.
Danger Level - High, deadly when not treated in time.
Incubation Period - 10 days to a month. The parasite is released in the blood stream every few days and kills red blood cells.
Defensive Maneuvers :
Symptoms Of Malaria:
Initial symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, reduced sleep and or trouble sleeping, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, coughing, drowsiness and irritability. The initial symptoms are usually followed by bouts of chills, fever and excessive sweating repeated every 2-3 days. The initial malarial symptoms are similar to that of the flu or viral fever and can be easily misdiagnosed.
Other symptoms may include an enlarged spleen, body aches especially abdominal pain and back pain. Loss of consciousness is possible if malaria has affected the brain. Kidneys are affected and cause reduced urination. Malaria is known to take a heavy toll on under nourished kids.
Collateral Damage : Leave from school, missing exams and playing time, extra study load, cranky children, no festive fun and celebration, additional expenditures, trauma, possible hospitalization, physical weakness etc.
Supportive Treatment: In addition to the doctor's treatment, increasing fluid intake, eating nutritious and taking ample rest can reduce recuperation time for the kids.
In case your child shows symptoms of malaria, please visit the nearest doctor for a check-up and get the blood screening done as per the doctor's instructions. Make it a point to complete the medication course all the way to ensure that there's no relapse.
Kids are bound to go out and fall sick every now and then, but it's a parent's job to make sure that the kids are taken care of at such times. Being informed and alert is a small part of the job description. We will be back with more to make sure you win the parent wars against diseases.
