Malari
a
By
Siti Khadijah Ulol Azmi
Malaria is a tropic life threatening disease.
A disease caused by members of theprotozoan
genusPlasmodium, a widespread group of sporozoans
Recently,
a fifth
type
plasmodium
More
common
and
more
dangerous,
and is
Most cases
arehuman
caused
by
oneand
of these
two species
: found in
thatpasitizethe
liver
red
blood
cells.
knowlesi
hasthe
been
causing
both
tropics
and subtropics.
Humans are infected
with
Plasmodium
malaria
in largest
Malaysia
and some
It is the
single
causeprotozoa
of death inwhen
Africa.
bitten by an
infective
female
Anopheles
mosquito
part offalciparum
Southeast
Asia. more
Plasmodium
affects
red bloodvector.
cell than
Since
the introduction
of the
other
types
and
is considered
moreor
serious.
Symptomsthe
may
appear
within
weeks
tomuch
months
even
Malaria
Eradication
Programme
in
It causes red blood cells to stick together, leading to the
years.
1967, of
there
was
a reduction
blockage
blood
vessels
to the in
brain, lung and kidneys.
There are It
the
of malaria
[Link] the first symptom.
4 can
species:
benumber
fatal within
a few hours
plasmodium falciparum
plasmodium vivax
plasmodium ovale
Found in the subtropics
plasmodium malariae
Malaria Trend in Malaysia
1995-2010
Symptoms
Ten days after being infected by plasmodium,
Fever
Body temperature increases rapidly to dangerously high
temperature (40.6 41.7 C)
May last as long as 12 hours
Other symptoms :
After the fever, sweating starts and the temperature falls.
The area of the abdomen over the spleen becomes
tender. The spleen can become inflamed, which may
cause it to rupture leading to massive internal bleeding
(haemorrhage)
The loss of healthy red blood cells leads to aneamia
The symptoms and fever coincide with the multiplication
of the parasite when the red blood cells rupture and the
parasites are release. The fever occurs every third day in
p. vivax and p. falciparum malarias. The attacks can be
complicated however as a result of successive infections
by mosquitoes.
The infection by p. falciparum causes malignant malaria, in
which the fever is accompanied by other complications. The
parasites tend to accumulate in the blood vessel in the brain,
causing brain infection ( cerebitis ), convulsions or coma.
Other common complication include :
destruction of blood cells ( haemolytic anaemia )
kidney failure
liver failure
Meningitis
Respiratory failure from fluid in the lung ( pulmonary oedema)
Malaria caused by p. falciparum can be fatal within two or three
days
Generally, people who have been exposed to infection over a
period of years and who have survived attacks of malaria may
become immune to the disease.
People with no history of previous infection will develop this
disease very rapidly.
Transmission
Malaria is transmitted from one human to another through
the bite of the infected female Anopheles mosquito .
During feeding, the infected mosquitoes pass on the
parasites from their salivary glands. These mosquitoes
obtain protein from the blood for their developing egg.
The life cycle of plasmodium involves several stages and a
secondary host, the female blood-sucking mosquito,
Anopheles.
The mosquito is described as a vector because it transport
the parasite between human hosts.
In the human body
Who is at risk?
young children
pregnant women
people with HIV/AIDS
international travelers from non-endemic areas
immigrants from endemic areas and their
children
