Data from the Acre Health Department (Sesacre) show that 1,042 cases of malaria were confirmed in ten cities in the first three months of this year alone. In the same period of 2023, the number of positive cases reached 1,583. The reduction between the periods evaluated was 34.1%. The survey was released this Thursday (25), World Malaria Day. Malaria is caused by a protozoan transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, which becomes infected when it bites a sick person. Diagnosis can be made using a blood sample or rapid test. The disease has a cure, as the treatment is effective, simple and free. However, if it is not diagnosed and treated in a timely and appropriate manner, it can progress to serious forms. Hence the importance of anyone who has traveled in the last 15 days to a malaria-endemic area immediately seeking health services as soon as they experience any of these symptoms. Sesacre's Environmental Health Surveillance Division highlighted in its report that the cases registered in Acre in 2023 represent almost 4% of the total records in the Amazon region. The majority of malaria cases are concentrated in the Amazon Region - Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Other regions of the country have few reports, but the disease cannot be neglected due to its high lethality. In general, after confirming the diagnosis of malaria, the patient receives treatment on an outpatient basis, with medications that are provided free of charge in SUS units. Only severe cases should be hospitalized immediately.

Source: Amazon Agency