Sepsis and Malaria
Malaria is a life-threatening disease that affects millions of people. In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there were 247 million cases of reported malaria and almost one million people died. Those who died of malaria were mostly children in Africa.
People who contract malaria are at risk of developing a serious condition called sepsis. Sometimes called blood poisoning, sepsis is the body's often deadly response to infection or injury. Sepsis kills and disables millions and requires early suspicion and rapid treatment for survival.
Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections (UTIs), and viral infections like the flu. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. Many who do survive are left with organ dysfunction and/or amputations. (What is the prognosis (outcome) with sepsis?)
What Is Malaria?
Malaria is a parasitic disease, one that is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes. There are four types of malaria, but Plasmodium falciparum(P.falciparum) is the most deadly. The other types are P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale.
Malaria is a disease most frequently found in 108 countries and territories in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. It has also affected people in Europe.
How Do You Get Malaria?
You can only get malaria by being bitten by an infected mosquito, specifically the Anopheles mosquito.