QUESTION What is malaria? ANSWER Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Transmitted by mosquitoes, there are several different kinds of malaria distributed throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, causing somewhere between 300-500 million cases of disease each year, and as many as 1 million deaths. In fact, malaria is one of the biggest … [Read more...]
What is Malaria?
QUESTION What is it? ANSWER I have copied the below answer from an earlier question also asking what malaria is: Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Transmitted by mosquitoes, there are several different kinds of malaria distributed throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, causing somewhere between 300-500 million cases of disease … [Read more...]
Malaria Mosquito
QUESTION Which mosquito causes malaria? ANSWER It is important to note that mosquitoes do not CAUSE malaria—the disease itself is caused by microscopic, single-celled animals called Plasmodium. These Plasmodium parasites live and reproduce inside the mosquito, and when the mosquito bites a person, the parasites are transferred into that person's blood via the mosquito's saliva. If … [Read more...]
Where does malaria come from?
QUESTION Where does malaria normally come from? ANSWER Malaria is caused by single-celled parasites of the genus Plasmodium; the parasites enter the human body via the bite of an infected mosquito. However, the mosquito has to pick up the infection in the first place from another infected human; so in a sense, you could say that malaria both comes from mosquitoes, as well as from other … [Read more...]
What does malaria cause?
QUESTION: What does malaria cause? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease. It is caused by tiny single-celled parasites called Plasmodium, which are transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. There are many symptoms that occur as a result of infection with malaria, namely fever, chills, headaches and nausea, among others. Malaria can be a very serious disease, especially if not … [Read more...]
Origin of Malaria
QUESTION: What is the origin of malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium; different species cause the different forms of malaria we see in different parts of the world. Malaria has been in existence for millions of years; it likely evolved from similar infections in other apes. Ancient people recognised the symptoms of malaria as early as 2700 BCE, … [Read more...]
What pathogenic organisms cause malaria?
QUESTION: What pathogenic organism causes the disease? ANSWER: Malaria is caused by single-celled organisms, called protozoans, of the genus Plasmodium. Different forms of malaria are caused by different species of Plasmodium. The most severe and deadly form is caused by P. falciparum, which is responsible for 90% of the global deaths from malaria, the majority of these in Africa, and … [Read more...]
How do mosquitoes cause malaria?
QUESTION: How can the mosquito cause malaria? ANSWER: Actually, mosquitoes don't cause malaria themselves, they just transmit it from one person to another! The disease is actually caused by a tiny parasite, of the genus Plasmodium, several species of which infect humans. Part of the parasite's life cycle takes place in the human host, and the other part in the mosquito; it needs to go … [Read more...]
Having Malaria after being tested negative
QUESTION: In April 2010 I was in India, had symptoms of malaria, had blood work done, platelets low but rapid antigen and smear were negative. One year later, May 2011, had low platelet count, chills, no fever or fever spikes. Could this be malaria again even though I was tested negative. ANSWER: This response is courtesy of Dr Jaya Swarup Mohanty, a physician in India: Malaria doesn't … [Read more...]
Causes of malaria, treatment with drugs and emerging resistance
QUESTION: What is malaria and what causes it besides bacteria? What is the name of the causal agent for malaria, which drug is used to cure it and how do the pathogens become resistant to the drugs? ANSWER: There are many questions in there! Malaria is actually caused by a single-celled animal, called a protozoan; it's not a bacterial disease. There are different species of these … [Read more...]