Malaria Facts & Symptoms

Video Transcript

"Malaria facts and symptoms. Malaria is caused by a parasite and is transmitted by mosquitoes. There are recurrent attacks of chills and fever and it's a deadly disease if it goes untreated or it could be a deadly disease. It's usual in sub-tropical countries. Although I have seen it in North America, of course some but not much in America. We've seen it mostly in Central America and South America. The West Indies, India and Africa in the sub-tropical, in the very warm climates where the mosquitoes thrive and carry this disease with them to the host. And that is the host, to the person who is going to be bitten by that mosquito. Some of the symptoms also could be severe shaking and chills, increased fever and sweating an uneasy feeling. Headaches with vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. There have been times that it hasn't been thought much about for a year, maybe some people have recovered and when they recover they haven't even thought that what had happened to them up to a year ago and they start having these symptoms. So that could be up to a year before you can even have some of these symptoms which is a very difficult thing to even think about. It really comes with malaise and lethargy and what happens is I have seen people that when I was in the mission field where they would just lay in the back of a truck. They just felt so badly, they just thought they were dying and at the time I don't think they cared if they died. It was so bad, they were shaking with fever. They were cold. They were hot and they were vomiting, had diarrhea and they were very very sick until you could get them to a place to treat them. It's not something to be sniffed at. It is a deadly disorder but it's normally seen in tropical or sub-tropical climates."