M Illness Details
Malaria
What is it?
Infection characterized by fever, shivering, chills, malaise, headache, and sweats. Malaria is life threatening. 220 million new infections occur every year worldwide.
Symptoms
Flulike symptoms: fever, chills, headache, and generalized aches and pains.
Transmission
Transmitted by the bite of infected female mosquitoes.
Additional Information
Marburg Virus (Ebola virus)
What is it?
Ebola virus and Marburg virus are related viruses that cause severe, often fatal, disease and originate primarily in the tropical forests of Africa.
Symptoms
Cause hemorrhagic fevers that can lead to extensive bleeding (hemorrhage), organ failure and shock.
Transmission
Initially move from animals to humans, then can spread from person to person through direct contact with blood and other body fluids.
Additional Information
Meningitis
What is it?
Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can cause meningitis, sepsis, pneumonia, or joint infections. Meningococcal disease can be quite severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, or loss of limbs.
Symptoms
Fever, severe and persistent headache, stiff and painful neck, especially when trying to touch the chin to the chest. Vomiting. Confusion and decreased level of consciousness. Seizures.
Transmission
The bacteria are spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions (ex. coughing, kissing). The bacteria are ot spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningococcal disease has been.
Additional Information
Measles
What is it?
Measles, also known as rubeola, is a disease caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus.
Symptoms
The classical Symptoms of measles include a fever for at least three days, the three Cs—cough, coryza (runny nose) and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
Transmission
The measles is a highly contagious airborne pathogen which spreads primarily via the respiratory system. The virus is transmitted in respiratory secretions, and can be passed from person to person via aerosol droplets containing virus particles, such as those produced by a coughing patient.
Additional Information
Mumps
What is it?
Mumps is a viral illness characterized by swelling of the salivary glands
Symptoms
Cases of mumps may start with a fever of up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a headache and loss of appetite. The well-known symptom of mumps is swelling and pain in the parotid glands, making the child look like a hamster with food in its cheeks.
Transmission
The mumps virus is contagious and spreads in tiny drops of fluid from the mouth and nose of someone who is infected. It can be passed to others through sneezing, coughing, or even laughing.
Additional Information
Murray Valley Encephalitis
What is it?
A mosquito-borne virus that occurs in northern Austrailia and Papua New Guinea and can cause encephalitis. It is estimated that about 20% die and 50% of survivors have permanent neurological damage.
Symptoms
Mild fever, headache, vomiting, light sensitivity, stiff neck/back, aches and pains, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, coma, irritability, memory loss, seizures, paralysis, withdrawal from social interaction, and loss of consciousness.
Transmission
Infection caused by infected mosquitoes.
Additional Information
