Diagnosing malaria
Malaria in children17
Of the more than 500,000 African children who develop cerebral malaria each year, 10-20% die and approximately 7% are left with permanent neurological damage. Children with malaria typically develop fever, vomiting, headache and flu-like symptoms. If untreated, the disease may progress rapidly (often within 24 hours) to convulsions, coma, and death.
Malaria is a major cause of anaemia in many parts of the world. Chronic anaemia may adversely affect a child’s growth and intellectual development. Repeated episodes of malaria may lead to severe, life-threatening anaemia.
In non-immune children, the initial attack can be very variable.
- Common symptoms include drowsiness, anorexia, thirst, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
- Common early signs include increased temperature (may be greater than 40°C), pallor, and cyanosis; enlarged liver and spleen occur later.
- Convulsions are frequent, and cerebral malaria is the most usual complication. Anaemia is a complication with repeated infections.
Children living in endemic areas develop limited immunity. Symptoms are milder and more difficult to detect. They include low-grade anaemia, restlessness, loss of appetite, weariness, sweating, and intermittent fever.
