Malaria Flow Chart by Thais Jackson

Malaria

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 03:58:09 UTC

What is Malaria?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:09:25 UTC

Potentially life-threatening disease. It's vector, or organism that transfers the pathogen from one organism to another, is the female mosquito (anopheles gambiae) containing Plasmodium parasite that bites a human and transmits the disease into the bloodstream.

What is Plasmodium Parasite?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:13:16 UTC

A single celled eukaryotic parasite that feeds on human blood. It is heterotrophic, meaning its food source is the hemoglobin protein within red blood cells. It has a parasitic relationship with its human host because damaging the hemoglobin makes transferring oxygen through red blood cells to various parts of the body significantly more difficult.

Where is Malaria found?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:23:51 UTC

Malaria is found in many parts of the world such as Central and South America, Asia, South Pacific, Eastern Europe, and most commonly in Africa. Africa accounts for over 50% of total cases worldwide and nearly 95% of total deaths.

What causes Malaria?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:29:40 UTC

Poverty, living conditions, proximity to the equator, and weather seasons all play a role in the likeliness that Malaria exists in a community as well as the ability to treat it. Poverty and poor living conditions such as no electricity and the inability to purchase mosquito nets play cause a big impact. Additionally, Malaria is most prevalent during harvest seasons because the rain and humidity breeds mosquitos. Poorly drained land that pools leaves places susceptible to Malaria.

Malaria Sequence of Events

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:34:11 UTC

Half of the plasmodium life is inside the mosquito, other half inside the affected human. There are many stages of Malaria and different stages throughout where certain treatments can be possible.

Human Sequence of Events

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:36:26 UTC

Mosquito Sequence of Events

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:36:52 UTC

#1

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:39:27 UTC

Infected female mosquito injects Plasmodium Parasite into human bloodstream through a bite

#2

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:41:12 UTC

Sporozoites, a form of the parasite, travel through the bloodstream

#4

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:47:47 UTC

The sporozoites are then released from liver cells in the form of vesicles

#3

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:48:29 UTC

Sporozoites land and multiply asexually in the liver cells for an incubation period, the time between exposure to the pathogen and when symptoms appear, that is typically 7-20 days but can range anywhere from days to months and even years

#5

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:49:40 UTC

Vesicles travel to heart, then to lungs where they settle in the lung capillaries. When the vesicles eventually disintegrate, the parasite enters the blood phase

#6

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:50:22 UTC

The parasite then invades the specific red blood cells called erythrocytes. Throughout the bloodstream, the parasite multiplys asexually until red blood cells burst again and again

#7

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:56:41 UTC

Some of the infected red blood cells escape the cycle of asexual reproduction and develop into gametocytes, which are the sexual form of the parasite

#8

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 05:58:30 UTC

The gametocytes then circulate the bloodstream. When the mosquito bites the human, it ingests the gametocytes as well

#1

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 13:36:43 UTC

A mosquito bites a human and ingests gametocytes circulating through the human's blood that then develop into mature sex cells called gametes

#2

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 13:49:42 UTC

The gametes mate in the stomach of the mosquito, producing zygotes

#3

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 13:51:34 UTC

The fertilized female gametes that produced the zygotes then develop into elongated forms call ookinetes that burrow in the mosquito midgut wall and form oocysts on the outside surface

#4

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 13:53:42 UTC

Incubation period of 10-18 days where the oocysts grow. Inside the oocysts sporozoites develop, and when the oocysts eventually burst, the sporozoites travel to the salivary glands of the mosquito

#5

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 13:59:29 UTC

Once the sporozoites are in the salivary glands, the cycle of human infection begins one the mosquito bites a person and injects the sporozoites into their bloodstream

Can we stop Malaria before the cycle even begins?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 14:09:16 UTC

The answer is yes. Malaria can be eradicated, as it has been in many parts of the world already. The cure has been around since the 1600s, and known prevention since 1897. The issue now and the reason Malaria still exists today is people in communities with widespread Malaria have become accustomed to the fatal disease. There is equal amount of concern for Malaria as there is for the common cold or flu in the United States. Malaria has become extremely normalized meaning people don't take necessary precautions like mosquito nets or proper drainage because in their eyes, Malaria is no big deal. Not only has the normalization of Malaria perpetuated the cycle, poverty has as well. Without the money for treatment, education, safety measures, and better living conditions, Malaria will still exist.

Symptoms

thaisjackson — 2023-12-14 14:17:32 UTC

The symptoms begin after the incubation period and include:

Fever
Sweating
Chills
Headaches
Muscle Aches
Fatigue
Chest Pain
Cough
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Nausea
Anemia
Yellowing of Skin

Diagnosis of Malaria

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:22:56 UTC

The diagnosis of Malaria can only occur once all three necessary parts of information are collected: blood sample, general reasoning, and symptoms. The blood sample would show the effects of Plasmodium parasite by making the red blood cells apear purple and with dots through the center. The general reasoning refers to the back ground information and logical processing. For example if someone returned from a malarious part of the world, have they had malaria before, do they live near water. The third part needed is the symptom list that corresponds with the typical signs that can only be collected after the incubation period.

Possible Treatment #1

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:29:10 UTC

R21 Malaria vaccine. Although the vaccine is effective, Malaria is a complex disease that is constantly changing and mutating, making it extremely difficult to produce broad treatment for specialized and different cases or types of Malaria.

Possible Treatment #3

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:35:05 UTC

Artemisinin drugs (artemether and artesunate) rapidly kills the parasites, but is itself rapidly cleared from the body The longer-lived partner drug, such as lumefrantrine, kills the remaining parasites and provides some lingering protection from reinfection. Medication can only be given once a diagnosis has been made, meaning nothing can be prescribed before physical effects appear after incubation period.

Possible Treatment #2

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:37:06 UTC

Non-medication involved treatments include applying mosquito repellent with DEET (diethyltoluamide) to exposed skin, sleeping in mosquito nets at night, and avoiding humid, water filled areas where mosquitos prefer to breed

Possible Treatment #4

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:41:11 UTC

IV or oral clindamycin and tetracyclines, such as doxycycline are slow acting antimalarials that take effect after 24hrs but are helpful in moderate cases of Malaria

Possible "Treatment" #5

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:43:14 UTC

Sickle Cell Disease was the genetic mutation that humans evolved to carry as the body's most effective protection against Malaria without medical aid

Sickle Cell Disease

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:46:17 UTC

Genetic mutation where hemoglobin are stacked in rigid shapes within red blood cells. It caused red blood cells to have a "wrong" shaped form that appeared sickle-like. Sickle-shaped red blood cells create a very hostile environment for the Plasmodium parasite's growth, partially due to low oxygen levels. Decreased parasite growth may allow more time for the body's immune system to react and destroy the infected red blood cells.

Where is Sickle Cell located?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:47:40 UTC

Sickle Cell Disease is most commonly found in people living in or near malarious areas like Africa as it was the genetic resistance against Malaria.

What are Sickle Cell Issues?

thaisjackson — 2023-12-15 04:52:31 UTC

While Sickle Cell Disease provides protection against Malaria, that is only the case when one gene from a parent is inherited that contains the mutation. That allows for just enough sickle shaped red blood cells to disrupt the parasite growth, but not enough to have serious issues that come with a full combination of sickle cell. As the gene provided protection, it grew rapidly in the population as the gene was passed on. When a child inherits sickle cell from 2 sides, the effects are very serious. Sickle Cell bloods blood vessels that cause a lack of red blood cells and therefore less oxygen to be delivered to various parts of the body and stop the function of entire organs or systems all together. The blocked blood flow can also caused strokes, vision problems, and breathing problems.