Up to 500 million people per year are infected with malaria around the world, which results in the deaths of over a million.
While malaria is no longer a major health threat in the United States, it continues to be a devastating disease in other parts of the world. It infects up to 500 million people per year and results in more than a million deaths. The disease, which is spread by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito, is most deadly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 90 percent of worldwide malaria deaths occur. While there is no vaccine for malaria, there are many antimalarial drugs available that may prevent infection when traveling to high risk areas.
Drugs
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that people who are planning to travel to high risk malaria areas should consult with their physicians about taking one of five antimalarial drugs prior to their trip: mefloquine, atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, chloroquine, or primaquine.
Mefloquine: There is a generic and brand name version (Lariam) of this drug available. Serious side effects are not common, but higher doses can result in nausea, anxiety, dizziness, headaches, sleep difficulty, visual disturbances, vivid dreams, depression, psychosis, and seizures.
Atovaquone/Proguanil: This is two drugs combined into a single-dose tablet and available under the brand name Malarone. Serious side effects are not common but can include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
Doxycycline: This is a relative of the antibiotic tetracycline and is available under a variety of brand names. Side effects include nausea, stomach pain, sun sensitivity, and vaginal yeast infection in women.
Chloroquine: This drug is available as a generic or under the brand name Aralen and is specific to people planning on travelling to high risk malaria areas in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central America, and Mexico. Serious side effects are not common but can include itching, blurred vision, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
Primaquine: This drug is for people traveling to areas where vivax malaria is common, which is primarily the Korean Peninsula. Before taking this drug, a person must be tested for a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), as primaquine can cause red blood cells to burst in G6PD-deficient people and result in death. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
Insect Repellent
The CDC recommends four insect repellents for us when traveling to high risk malaria areas: DEET, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil, and IR3535.
DEET: Brand name products that contain DEET include Ultrathon, Cutter, Off!, and Sawyer.
Picaridin: Brand name products that contain picaridin include Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus, Cutter Advanced, and Autan.
Lemon eucalyptus oil: One brand name product that contains lemon eucalyptus oil is Repel.
IR3535: One brand name product that contains IR3535 is Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition.
Vector Control
Another common method of controlling and preventing malaria infection is through vector control, which is the attempt to keep humans away from the mosquitoes that can cause infection. One such device is an insecticide treated bed net, which is a net that resembles a small tent that covers someone during sleep. The CDC reports that these nets reduced malaria mortality rates by 20 percent in trials conducted in community-wide African settings.
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