Malaria

Created by: Eliza, Rachael, Abby, Lindsey, and

Caroline
NIcaragua
- To protect against diseases that can be transmitted
through bugs, a lot of Nicaraguans get antiparasitic
shots.

- In our surveys, we asked the last time Public Health

employees visited the community, and a majority stated
that they came every few months to inform and educate
about mosquitos.

- Most homes got their water supply from the river and kept
it in open containers.
About malaria
- Malaria is transmitted by the bite of an infected female
Anopheles mosquito.
- It is more prevalent in regions with higher temperatures
and more rainfall and humidity (“Malaria”).
- Two strains of malaria are prevalent in Nicaragua: 90% P.
vivax and 10% P. falciparum
What happens when you get malaria?
- Bad things
- The parasites that cause malaria are released into the
blood and infect liver cells.
- The parasites reproduce in the liver cells and cause them
to burst open.
- Without treatment, serious complications or even death
can occur.
Symptoms
- The disease is categorized as
uncomplicated or severe
depending on the severity of
the symptoms.
- These symptoms range from
fever, chills, nausea, kidney
failure, seizures, severe
anemia, etc (“Malaria”).
How to treat it
- Treatment should begin as soon as possible to prevent
potentially fatal results
- Most often, patients use a form of oral medication to
treat malaria
- Some drugs used to fight malaria include:
- Chloroquine
- Malarone
- Coartem
- Severe P. falciparum malaria, however,
should be treated by an intravenous
transfusion
Treatment Barriers In Nicaragua
- In Nicaragua, treatments are encouraged only after a positive malaria test
comes back for a patient with a fever. However, many patients in rural
areas of Nicaragua cannot get the necessary treatment in time, resulting
in a longer period of waiting. Due to this extended waiting time, the
diagnosis is usually based off of the symptoms that are showing, which
means the disease has been in the body for longer.
- A 14 day treatment plan was created and enforced by MINSA, but was found
to be ineffective for those who lived in rural areas. There is no way for
the treatment to be monitored, so a 7 day treatment plan was created,
which still poses a problem with making sure patients follow the treatment
plan.
Treatment Barriers in the United States
- In the US, malaria treatment can be hindered if the
patient:
- Is pregnant
- Has an illness or health condition
- Has drug allergies
- Was infected in a drug-resistance area
- Was infected by a severe strain of malaria
- Experiences side effects from the drugs
Our Role
- Service learning is a “method of learning that integrates
academic work with community service” (syllabus).
- We did not treat anyone with malaria on this trip, but
while on our house visits, we were able to help hand out
informational papers to inform the people about malaria
and how to prevent it.
Conclusion
- Overall, we were able to gain valuable experience in a
healthcare setting much different from ours in the US. We
saw how different the lifestyles of those in Nicaragua
were as compared to ours. Health is not the main priority
for them, so being able to give guidance in that aspect
was very eye opening.
Sources
- "Travelers' Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 10 Mar. 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
- Arguin, Paul, and Kathrine Tan. "Travelers' Health." Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 July 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
<https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/malaria>.
- "Malaria." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/index.html>.
- Malaria Lifecycle Animation. Dir. Darby. YouTube. N.p., 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2-XTlHBf_4>.
- Sequeira M, Espinoza H, Amador JJ, Domingo G, Quintanilla M, and de los Santos T. Malaria in
Nicaragua: A Review of Control Status, Trends, and Needs. Seattle, Washington: PATH; 2010.