Summary of Malaria by JI QING

While inside vector (Female Anopheles Mosquitos)

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:36:31 UTC

1) Plasmodium gametes fuse, undergo sexual reproduction

2) Plasmodium enters the bloodstream through mosquito proboscis, as plasmodium resides in the mosquito salivary gland.

While inside host (Human)

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:36:50 UTC

1)Plasmodium resides in the liver cells to mature

2)After Plasmodium matures, enters red blood cells (RBC) and multiply, causing RBC to lyse

3)More parasites are released and infects more RBCs

4)Plasmodium being picked up by vector (female mosquito) during blood meal

Main factor: Vector

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:42:57 UTC

-Vector: Organism responsible as a carrier of the disease and can spread the disease

-Female Anopheles Mosquitos sustain themselves and their eggs by consuming blood.

Other factors

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:44:10 UTC

-Blood transfusions, Unsterilised needles

-From Placenta to fetus

Symptoms

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:46:18 UTC

-Anemia (lack of healthy RBC in blood)

-Fever

-Nausea

-Headaches

-Muscle pain

-Shivering

-Sweating

-Enlarged spleen

Diagnosis

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:47:45 UTC

-Analysis through checking for Plasmodium in blood using a microscope

-Testing for plasmodium antigens

Treatment

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 03:49:13 UTC

-Anti Malarial drugs: Quinine, Chloroquine, Artemisinin

-Quinine is derived from the bark of Cinchona bark

Combination Therapy

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 13:05:13 UTC

-Multiple drugs are used together to prevent drug resistant plasmodium strains from developing

Prevention of Malaria

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 13:15:28 UTC

-Prophylactic drug (ineffective after being infected by malaria)

-Reduce breeding grounds of mosquitos by:

-breeding fish to eat mosquito larvae

-dump off stagnant water or cover it in oil

-Kill off/repel mosquitos by:

-spray insecticide

-spreading Bacillus Thuringeinsis

-mosquito net to prevent bites

-Be a carrier of sickle cell anemia allele

-reduction of risk of being infected

-reduction of mortality risk by malaria

Distribution of malaria cases across the world

jiqing167 — 2024-11-29 13:22:59 UTC

-Mostly around regions near the equator (tropical/subtropical areas)

-Still considered as an endemic in some countries

-Mosquitos typically breed in hot and humid areas

-Plasmodium reproduces in condition >20 degree Celsius