Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

Abstract

Changing Trends in Malaria

Puneet Aggarwal, Arka De, Nishanth Dev, Varun Rehani, Adesh Gadpayle and Swati Yadav

Malaria continues to dominate the scene involving the infectious diseases even though the figures suggest that the incidence of malaria is decreasing. Transmitted by the bite of the anopheles mosquito, malaria has undergone varying epidemiological and clinical changes with Plasmodium vivax malaria becoming complicated along with the Falciparum malaria with multi-organ involvement and can be fatal at times. Early and accurate diagnosis of malaria is imperative for effective management. More recently, Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) have been introduced into routine use, and molecular methods like polymerase chain reaction are useful in certain situation. Artemesinin based combination therapy have become the drug of choice especially for complicated malaria with Synriam being the latest addition which is a fixed dose formulation containing the short acting arterolane and long acting piperaquine.