Vol.63 No.5 September 2015
Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria
Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Abstract
Malaria is a preventable and treatable mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasitic protozoans of the Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and recent recognized species, P. knowlesi. Ninety-seven countries had ongoing malaria transmission. There were an estimated 140-290 million cases of malaria and an estimated 473,000-789,000 deaths. Most malaria deaths occur among children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. Although imported malaria cases in Japan are decreasing, it is unknown how many Japanese are ill with malaria during their stay in epidemic area. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, chill, joint pain and diarrhea. Most deaths are caused by P. falciparum. The best way to prevent malaria is to follow the ABCD of malaria prevention; A: Awareness of risk, B: Bite prevention, C: Chemoprophylaxis, D: prompt Diagnosis and treatment. While no regimen is 100% effective, the combination of preventive measures advised will give significant protection against malaria. In 2013, atovaquone-proguanil has been introduced, although only mefloquine was licensed for the prevention of malaria in Japan. Malaria is typically diagnosed by the microscopic examination of blood using blood smears, antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests or the polymerase chain reaction method, but the latter is not widely used due to its cost and complexity.
Key word
malaria, chemoprophylaxis
Received
January 8, 2015
Accepted
March 10, 2015
Jpn. J. Chemother. 63 (5): 457-461, 2015
