QUESTION What are the effects of malaria on the body? ANSWER Malaria has a number of effects on the body. The parasite passes from the blood (where it enters via the bite of an infected mosquito) into the liver, where it reproduces and changes form. After a period of 1-4 weeks (usually - it can be longer) in the liver, the malaria parasite re-enters the blood and begins to infect red … [Read more...]
Malaria Symptoms
QUESTION How does the virus cause the symptoms? ANSWER Malaria is actually not caused by a virus—it is caused by a microscopic single-celled parasite called Plasmodium. Several different species cause malaria in humans, the most common of which are P. vivax and P. falciparum. To describe the process in a very oversimplified way, the malaria parasites cause disease by infecting … [Read more...]
Malaria in Mosquitoes
QUESTION Why can't mosquitoes become sick of malaria? What do they have in their system that prevent them from becoming sick yet they transmit the disease to humans? ANSWER First of all, mosquitoes do get "sick" when infected with malaria, though not in the same way as humans. This is due to the major differences between human and mosquito physiology and also differences in the life stage … [Read more...]
Malaria and Renal Failure
QUESTION Explain how malaria can cause renal failure? ANSWER There are several mechanisms by which malaria can contribute to renal failure, which vary due to the type of malaria. The exact way in which these various effects combine to cause acute renal failure is not known. The most common type of malaria to cause renal failure is Plasmodium falciparum, generally the most severe and … [Read more...]