World Malaria Day: The disease spreads only in monsoon & other myths busted

Malaria, a Protozoan disease, transmitted by the infected Anopheles mosquitoes six species of genus Plasmodium cause nearly all Malarial infections in humans. In India, P Falciparum and P Vivax Malaria are common. While most deaths are caused by P Falciparum, occasional can be due to P Vivax if not treated timely.

Among all communicable diseases, malaria is the third largest killer of children between the ages of one month and five years.

From about 29,500 in 2000 to about 7,700 in 2019, deaths in India due to malaria has declined drastically. India, however, still accounts for 88 per cent of malaria cases and 86 per cent of malaria deaths in the South-East Asia region in 2019, according to World Health Organisation.


Judicious use of insecticides to kill the mosquito vector, rapid diagnosis, patient management, administration of intermittent preventive treatment, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, or chemoprophylaxis to high risk groups such as pregnant women, young children, and travellers from non endemic regions and future development of vaccine, can lead to a Zero Mark on Malaria.

The disease is surrounded by various myths and facts, such as:

Myth 1: You are immune if you get malaria once
Fact : There is no long lasting immunity for reinfection. Eventually exposure to sufficient strains confers protection from high-level parasitemia and disease, but not from infection.

Myth2: You are safe in air-conditioned rooms
Fact: It all depends on mosquito bites

Myth 3: Malaria isn't fatal
Fact: It is fatal without timely diagnosis and treatment

Myth 4: Children are affected the most
Fact: Risk are same for everyone.

Myth 5: Malaria does not spread in the dry season
Fact: It can spread in dry season, but it is more common in rainy season due to increased mosquito breeding and transmission

- The author is Consulting Physician at Global Hospitals, Mumbai