How common is it
Outbreaks
The world health organization estimates that in 2012, there were 207 million cases of malaria. That year, the disease was estimated to have killed between 473,000 and 789,000 people, many of whom were young children living in Africa
Life cycle
History
Just after it was declared Malaria free, Jamaica had an outbreak in 2006/2007 that resulted in 370 cases
6. "Growth and division of each oocyst produces thousands of active haploid forms called sporozoites. After 8-15 days*, the oocyst bursts, releasing sporozoites into the body cavity of the mosquito, from which they travel to and invade the mosquito salivary glands. The cycle of human infection re-starts when the mosquito takes a blood meal, injecting the sporozoites from its salivary glands into the human bloodstream"
Malaria is very common in hot tropical places,many countries in Africa, south of the Sahara desert as well as Asia, Latin America and even parts of Europe
interesting Facts
Summary
- Malaria exists in 109 countries around the world, making 3.3. billion people (half of the world population) susceptible to the disease
in summary, Malaria is a life threatening parasitic disease found mainly in the tropics. The disease can be prevented by using Malaria nets, bug repellent and wearing protective clothing. Malaria can be cured with the proper medication.
- In the U.S., 1,500 cases of malaria are found every year.
- Pregnant women are extremely vulnerable to malaria. If the disease is contracted during pregnancy, it can be passed to the infant or result in low birth weight, which decreases the baby’s chance of survival
Malaria has been known for thousands of years; there are written accounts of the disease, including a description of its symptoms, in ancient Chinese medical texts dating back to 2700 BCE.
Life cycle
How it infects
Worldwide, there are 300 to 500 million cases of malaria and more than 1 million deaths each year. Most cases occurred in travelers, military personnel, and immigrants
4. "Some of the merozoite-infected blood cells leave the cycle of asexual multiplication. Instead of replicating, the merozoites in these cells develop into sexual forms of the parasite, called male and female gametocytes, that circulate in the bloodstream."
John Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) says that "malaria is considered one of the most common infectious diseases and the most important of the parasitic diseases" and that 40% of our wolds population is at risk of contacting this disease.
However, the causes of the disease were only discovered in 1880 by Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, a French army surgeon stationed in Constantine, Algeria. He first noticed the parasites in the blood of a patient suffering from malaria.
The parasite "Plasmodium" lives in the saliva of female Anopheles mosquito's and infects us when the mosquito bites through our skin. It then travels and multiplies through our red blood cells. (only female mosquito's can transmit malaria, this is because male mosquito's don't feed on blood)
5."When a mosquito bites an infected human, it ingests the gametocytes. In the mosquito gut, the infected human blood cells burst, releasing the gametocytes, which develop further into mature sex cells called gametes. Male and female gametes fuse to form diploid zygotes, which develop into actively moving ookinetes that burrow into the mosquito midgut wall and form oocysts"
Symptoms
Typical symptoms include:
Fever, fatigue, vomiting and headaches.
In severe cases it can cause :
yellow skin, seizures, coma or death
These symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten
Life cycle
What is it?
1. A female Anopheles mosquito carrying malaria-causing parasites feeds on a human and injects the parasites into the bloodstream
2. Over 5-16 days the parasite grows, spreads through the body and produces tens of thousands of haploid forms, called merozoites, per liver cell.
Causative Organism
Plasmodium under microscope
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans and spreads through your red blood cells
Malaria is caused by a microscopic single-celled organism called Plasmodium
Plasmodium: a type of parasitic protozoans of the sporozoan
3.The merozoites exit the liver cells and re-enter the bloodstream, beginning a cycle of invasion of red blood cells and release newly formed merozoites from the red blood cells repeatedly over 1-3 days. This can result in thousands of parasite-infected cells in the bloodstream.
Sporozoan: any parasitic germ-forming protozoan
Treatment
The most commonly used medications to treat Malaria are
Treatment
- chloroquine
- doxycycline
- quinine
- atovaquone
- artemether
Malaria can usually be prevented by taking anti-malarial pills- before departure, while in a Malarial zone and most importantly after returning home.
Insect repellent, mosquito nets and protective clothing help prevent mosquito bites which transmit the disease.
MALARIA
The choice will depend on several factors, including
the specific species of parasite identified,
the severity of symptoms,
based on the geographic area where the patient traveled.