QUESTION i am lab technician, and I am requesting a seminar of malaria parasite. Thanks. ANSWER Thank you for your question. Perhaps if you could provide us with a bit more detail as to what you would like to see in a seminar, and we can try to create a seminar-like presentation that we can make available on our website. Alternatively, if you let us know where you are based (city, … [Read more...]
How is Malaria Spread?
QUESTION How is malaria spread? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have … [Read more...]
What are the Symptoms of Malaria?
QUESTION What are malaria symptoms? ANSWER Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Symptoms usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the … [Read more...]
Malaria in Africa
QUESTION Why do Africans catch malaria more than others? ANSWER There are a number of reasons why malaria is more widespread in Africa than in many other parts of the world. However, it is worth mentioning that other parts of the world, such as India and south-east Asia, also have very high prevalence of malaria, especially in rural areas. The high transmission of malaria is Africa is … [Read more...]
Causes of Malaria
QUESTION What are the causes of malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and … [Read more...]
Quinine Side Effects
QUESTION What are the side effects of quinine? ANSWER The main side effect of quinine, in therapeutic doses, is cinchonism or quinism. This is a condition associated with a number of symptoms, including flushed/sweaty skin, tinnitus, confusion, headaches, and more. Mild cinchonism should not be a reason to cease treatment with quinine, however. If injected into a nerve, quinine can … [Read more...]
Malaria Cure
QUESTION What is the cure for malaria? ANSWER Malaria can be cured with a number of different medications, depending on then type of malaria and how far the disease has been progressed. For standard, non-complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the World Health Organisation recommends use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), such as Coartem. This is due to increasing … [Read more...]
What are Gametocytes?
QUESTION What are Gametocytes? ANSWER Gametocytes are the sexually reproductive form of the malaria parasite. They circulate in the blood of the human/mammal host and are picked up by the mosquito when it takes a blood meal. Inside the mosquito, the gametocytes undergo sexual reproduction in the mosquito midgut, producing oocysts which attach to the midgut wall and produce sporozoites, … [Read more...]
What do people look like when they have malaria?
QUESTION What do people look like when they have malaria? ANSWER They look sick! When a person has malaria, they experience a flu-like illness, characterised by cycles of fevers and chills, and often accompanied by headaches and nausea. In addition, they may have jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes) due to loss of red blood cells. … [Read more...]
Slight Malaria
QUESTION Does "slight malaria" mean you have malaria? ANSWER You have malaria if you are infected with the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. However, having a few of the parasites does not mean you experience symptoms of the disease. Some forms of malaria, like P. malariae, can persist in a patient without causing any symptoms. However, in some cases, particularly P. falciparum … [Read more...]