Malaria

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Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites which occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical climates with young children the most vulnerable group.  VIDEOGRAPHIC

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00:00Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites. It occurs mainly in

00:10tropical and subtropical climates. The main symptoms include fever, headaches,

00:15chills, vomiting and diarrhea. If not treated promptly it can have serious

00:19and sometimes deadly consequences. In endemic areas many people naturally

00:24build up partial immunity to one or more of the four types of malaria. This can

00:28help reduce the impact of a severe outbreak. However some specific groups

00:32are always at risk including young children. Numerous treatments are

00:36available for those infected with the disease. Usually an artemisinin-based

00:40drug is combined with another anti-malarial medicine to lower the risk

00:45of resistance. Malaria is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes which are

00:49most active at night. After biting an infected individual they then spread the

00:53parasite to the next person they bite. Infection is therefore strongly linked

00:58to mosquito presence and climate conditions. Transmission is more intense

01:02during and after rainy seasons. The use of indoor insecticide sprays and treated

01:07mosquito nets are two powerful ways of reducing transmission in at-risk zones.

01:12The World Health Organization has recommended two malaria vaccines which

01:17have been shown to significantly reduce malaria among children.

01:28you

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