MALARIA MEDICATION
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans.
People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness.
TYPES OF MALARIA
Four kinds of malaria parasites infect humans:
 Plasmodium falciparum,
P. vivax,
P. ovale,
P. malariae.

SIGN AND SYMPTOM
Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells.
Diagnosis
To diagnose malaria, your doctor will likely review your medical history and recent travel, conduct a physical exam, and order blood tests. Blood tests can indicate:
The presence of the parasite in the blood, to confirm that you have malaria
Which type of malaria parasite is causing your symptoms
If your infection is caused by a parasite resistant to certain drugs
Whether the disease is causing any serious complications
Some blood tests can take several days to complete, while others can produce results in less than 15 minutes. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may order additional diagnostic tests to assess possible complications.
TREATMENT
Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite (Anti malaria medicine).
ANTI MALARIA: Antimalarial medications or simply antimalarials are a type of antiparasitic chemical agent, often naturally derived, that can be used to treat or to prevent malaria, in the latter case, most often aiming at two susceptible target groups, young children and pregnant women.
Treatment
Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. The types of drugs and the length of treatment will vary, depending on:
Which type of malaria parasite you have
The severity of your symptoms
Your age
Whether you’re pregnant
Medications
The most common antimalarial drugs include:
Chloroquine phosphate. Chloroquine is the preferred treatment for any parasite that is sensitive to the drug. But in many parts of the world, parasites are resistant to chloroquine, and the drug is no longer an effective treatment.
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). ACT is a combination of two or more drugs that work against the malaria parasite in different ways. This is usually the preferred treatment for chloroquine-resistant malaria. Examples include artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem) and artesunate-mefloquine.
Other common antimalarial drugs include:
Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone)
Quinine sulfate (Qualaquin) with doxycycline (Oracea, Vibramycin, others)
Primaquine phosphate
ADVERSE EFFECT OF ANTI MALARIA
In general, common side effects of anti malaria include:
1. headache,
2. dizziness,
3. loss of appetite,
4. weakness,
5. fever,
6. chills,
7. tiredness,
8. muscle or joint pain,
9. nausea,
10. vomiting,
11. abdominal pain,
12. cough,
13. itching,
14. trouble sleeping (insomnia).

REFERENCES
AskMayoExpert. Malaria. Mayo Clinic; 2019.
Jameson JL, et al., eds. Malaria. In: Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 20th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2018. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed Oct. 9, 2018.
Bennett JE, et al. Malaria (plasmodium species). In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 15, 2020.
Malaria. Merck Manual Professional Version. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/extraintestinal-protozoa/malaria. Accessed Dec. 15, 2020.
Brunette GW, et al., eds. CDC Yellow Book 2020: Health Information for International Travel. Oxford University Press; 2019. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/yellowbook-home. Accessed Dec. 15, 2020.
Breman JG. Clinical manifestations of malaria in nonpregnant adults and children. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Dec. 15, 2020.
Daily J. Treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in nonpregnant adults and children. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Dec. 15, 2020.
World malaria report 2020. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015791. Accessed Dec. 15, 2020.
Sanchez L, et al. Antibody responses to the RTS,S/AS01E vaccine and Plasmodium falciparum antigens after a booster dose within the phase 3 trial in Mozambique. NPJ Vaccines. 2020; doi:10.1038/s41541-020-0192-7.
Q&A on RTS,S malaria vaccine. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-rts-s-malaria-vaccine. Accessed Oct. 7, 2021