DOH 7: No Malaria Cases in CenVis

The Department of Health (DOH)7 has indicated their non-discovery of malaria cases here in Central Visayas (CV) during these days.

Dr. Joanri Riveral Medical Specialist III of the DOH7 issued this statement last Saturday morning while they are preparing the incoming Malaria Day celebration this coming May 7, 2015.

During the said Malaria day celebration, all DOH personnel will continue dessiminating information about malaria disease.

Riveral described malaria as having the same effect with dengue fever, “but they varied in areas where they ought to prevail,” he said.

Riveral said while malaria mosquitoes are famous in Palawan province and somewhere in Negros Oriental before, dengue fever became popular in almost all areas in Central Visayas.

But during this time, both dengue and malaria cases are lull as if they are just waiting for the exact time to attack, “so we must always be rwady at all times to fight against them,” he said.

Riveral described malaria as serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by mosquito.

“But it is preventable, like dengue fever which also caused by mosquito bites,” he said.

Although malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite called Plasmodium which infects mosquito, the one who delivers the same to the human body, as explained by Riveral.

He added that there are four species of Plasmodium here in the Philippines namely, P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malarfae, and P. ovale.

“But infection with P. knowlesi has also been identified in the province of Palawan in 2010,” Riveral added.

Riveral said that malaria disease may affect to human being by means of transmission through the bite of an infected female Anopheles sp. mosquito, usually during nighttime.

He revealed the signs and symptoms of anyone inflicted by malaria as chilling, high grade fever, severe headache and vomiting.

But the availability of effective medicine against malaria nowadays make the disease preventable.

However, to avoid the transmission of malaria,”you must use long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets especially during nighttime, wear long-sleeved clothing and pants, use mosquito repellants/coils and screens on doors and windows, clear hanging branches of trees along streams, have blood examined if you have the signs and symptoms of malaria, and follow the advice of health workers on how to take anti-malaria drugs.