Why does malaria cause fever

Although crude preparations of hemozoin from either source caused cytokine stimulation in mouse dendritic cells, such stimulatory activity disappeared when hemozoin was purified further. In particular, treatment of natural hemozoin with DNase eliminated the stimulatory activity, and analysis of natural hemozoin demonstrated that malarial DNA was present. Further work showed that natural hemozoin stimulated cells from TLR2 knockout mice but not cells from TLR9 knockout mice.

Natural hemozoin bound to recombinant TLR9 fusion proteins, but that binding did not occur when hemozoin-bound DNA was removed. These findings suggest that, in a mouse model, malaria causes cytokine stimulation and fever by using hemozoin to move malarial DNA into an endosomal compartment to stimulate TLR9. As noted by the authors, inhibitors of human TLR9 are under development, and this work indicates that such compounds could prove useful for treating fulminant malaria.

Parroche P et al. If you get malaria while pregnant, you and your baby have an increased risk of developing serious complications like:. Visit your GP, midwife, obstetrician or travel health advisor for a full discussion if you're pregnant and are thinking of travelling to a high-risk area. Not all antimalarial tablets are safe in pregnancy and it's important you get specific advice. If you travel to an area that has malaria, you are at risk of the infection.

It's very important that you take precautions to prevent the disease and get treatment immediately if symptoms do develop. Visit your local travel clinic for malaria advice as soon as you know that you are travelling to a risk area.

If you grew up in a country where malaria is common, any natural protection will be quickly lost when you move. Avoiding mosquito bites is one of the best ways to prevent malaria. This is particularly important during early evening and at night when mosquitoes bite. There's no evidence to suggest that other remedies protect against malaria, such as homeopathic remedies , electronic buzzers, vitamins B1 or B12 , garlic, yeast extract spread Marmite , tea tree oils or bath oils.

Antimalarial tablets can help prevent you from developing a malaria infection. For the best protection, you must also follow mosquito bite prevention advice. You must start taking antimalarial tablets before travel and continue taking them whilst travelling in the risk area. Antimalarial tablets must also be taken for a period of time after you have left the risk area. However, they do stop the infection from developing inside your body and prevent you from getting ill.

If you stop taking your antimalarial tablets early even when you are back in the UK you could still become ill with malaria. You may need to take a short trial course of antimalarial tablets before travelling.

This is to check that side effects do not occur and that you do not have an adverse reaction. If you do, alternative antimalarials can be prescribed before you leave.

The type of antimalarial tablets that you will be recommended is based on the following information:. If you've taken antimalarial medication in the past, don't assume it's suitable for future trips. The type of antimalarial that you will need to take depends on which strain of malaria is carried by the mosquitoes in an area. It will also depend on whether they're resistant to certain types of antimalarial medication. To find out what type of antimalarial medication is best for you, visit your local travel clinic.

If malaria is diagnosed and treated quickly, you should fully recover. Treatment should be started as soon as possible. Treatment is with tablets or capsules. If someone is very ill, treatment will be given through a drip into a vein in the arm intravenously. Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Malaria.

Malaria See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About malaria 2. Preventing and treating malaria.

About malaria Malaria is a serious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. A single mosquito bite is all it takes for someone to become infected.

Symptoms of malaria It's important to be aware of the symptoms of malaria if you're travelling to areas where there's a high risk of the disease. The initial symptoms of malaria include: a high temperature fever headache sweats chills muscle aches or pains vomiting and or diarrhoea These symptoms can start mild and may be difficult to identify as malaria.

Doctors also watch for signs of dehydration , convulsions, anemia , and other complications that can affect the brain, kidneys, or spleen.

A patient may need fluids, blood transfusions, and help with breathing. If diagnosed early and treated, malaria can usually be cured in about 2 weeks. However, many people who live in areas where malaria is common get repeated infections and never really recover between episodes of illness.

Without treatment, the disease can be fatal, especially in children who are malnourished. Health authorities try to prevent malaria by using mosquito-control programs aimed at killing mosquitoes that carry the disease. If you travel to an area of the world with a high risk for malaria, you can install window screens, use insect repellents, and place mosquito netting over beds. Insecticide-impregnated bed netting has successfully lowered the number of malaria deaths among African children.

Check with your doctor before visiting any tropical or subtropical area at high risk for malaria. Your doctor can give your family anti-malarial drugs to prevent the disease, which need to be taken before travel. Several malaria vaccines are currently being developed and tested across the world, but because the malaria parasite has a complicated life cycle, it's a difficult vaccine to develop.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Malaria? What Causes Malaria?