Falciparum malaria is life-threatening if not diagnosed early
Falciparum malaria is life-threatening if not diagnosed early
BENGALURU: The Ebola outbreak in West Africa which was first reported in March 2014 and snowballed into the deadliest disease known to man, has put the governments of countries, worldwide, on the alert. India is no exception. The Health Ministry issued directives for all the airports to screen everyone coming to the city from Ebola-affected countries.
Now the State-run Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) feels that it is not just Ebola which is rampant in the West African areas, but also a deadly strain of malaria.
RGICD Director Shashidhar Buggi said that out of the six suspected Ebola cases sent to the institute, none of the patients were confirmed cases of Ebola. Three were diagnosed with falciparum malaria. He explained, “Falciparum malaria is equally deadly as it is also life-threatening if not diagnosed on time and it can easily spread through the bite of a mosquito.”
On Thursday a male patient in his forties, another suspected case of Ebola was brought to the Institute and was discharged on Friday as his tests proved negative. "This man has been staying in the Republic of Congo but hails from Tamil Nadu. He was brought to our hospital on Thursday and we confirmed it was not Ebola and he was discharged on Friday," confirmed Dr Buggi.
"Our experience makes us affirm that the West African countries are not only Ebola-affected but also Malaria-struck. If a mosquito bites such patients and then bites some other person, there are equal chances of it spreading and it is also deadly, so doctors and the ministry should give weightage to not just Ebola but also malaria," adds Dr Buggi. Meanwhile, the RGICD has designated a 15-bed ward for Ebola cases.
( Source : dc )
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