Malaria: Signs, Checks and Care in Nigeria

This article explains what malaria is, how to recognise its signs, how it is tested and treated, and how to protect yourself and your family. It also lists the warning signs that need urgent hospital care.

What is malaria?

Malaria is an illness caused by tiny germs called parasites. The parasites enter the blood when an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a person. Malaria is very common in Nigeria, and it affects people of all ages. Children under five and pregnant women are at the highest risk.

Malaria is serious, but it can be treated. Early testing and early treatment protect you from severe illness.

Common signs to watch for

Signs usually appear about 7 to 30 days after a bite, but they can start sooner. Common signs include:

• Fever or chills, often with sweating
• Headache and body aches
• Tiredness or weakness
• Loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhoea or stomach pain
• Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)

What causes it and who is at risk

Malaria spreads through mosquito bites, mostly at night. You are more likely to get malaria if you live in a area with many mosquitoes, have no bed net, or have had malaria before. Pregnancy lowers the body's defences, so pregnant women need extra care. Having a fever does not always mean malaria, so other illnesses must also be considered.

How it is checked

If you have a fever, do not guess and do not buy medicine only from a shop. Ask for a test first. The usual tests are:

A rapid diagnostic test (RDT). This is a quick finger-prick test that gives results in about 15 to 20 minutes.

A microscope blood test. A lab checks your blood for parasites. It can also show how many parasites are present.

Your clinician may also ask for other tests, such as a full blood count, to check your blood and organs.

How it is managed

Malaria is treated with antimalarial medicines. The clinician chooses the medicine, the dose and the length of treatment, based on your test results, age, weight and pregnancy status. Do not start, stop or change any medicine on your own.

Some people need fluids through a drip or a blood transfusion if the illness is severe. Severe malaria needs hospital admission. Always finish the treatment you are given, even if you feel better, unless your clinician tells you otherwise.

Tell your clinician about any herbal products or traditional remedies you are using, as they can affect treatment.

What you can do at home

Rest, and drink plenty of safe fluids such as clean water, oral rehydration solution and soup.

Sleep under a treated mosquito net every night, even if you feel well.

Clear stagnant water around your home, such as old tyres, buckets and blocked gutters, where mosquitoes breed.

Use mosquito repellent or coils as advised, and close doors and windows in the evening where possible.

Keep a record of your temperature. Go for a test if the fever continues.

Prevention

Sleep under an insecticide-treated net every night. Repair holes in nets and in windows.

Pregnant women should attend antenatal clinic and take preventive treatment as advised by their doctor or midwife.

Get tested before taking any antimalarial medicine. Repeated self-treatment can cause drug resistance, which makes malaria harder to cure.

Remember that CareBridge, a local clinic or a hospital can test you and advise on treatment.