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...]
Can malaria affect one’s mental fitness?
QUESTION Can malaria affect ones mental fitness? ANSWER Given that malaria is often associated with severe fever and flu-like illness, I would say that is usually enough to prevent someone from feeling completely mentally fit! However, in addition to these general symptoms, there are other specific ways in which malaria can affect a patient's mind. With a particular type of malaria, … [Read more...]
How to get malaria?
QUESTION How do we get 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 they must have … [Read more...]
Timing of Malaria Microscopy
QUESTION Contrary to our past beliefs we came to know that malaria slides should be taken during afebrile periods when RBCs remain intact, enabling easier diagnosis of malarial parasites. Is this true? ANSWER That is a very interesting question, which I passed on to a diagnostic expert who serves as an advisor to Malaria.com. His response is as follows: Blood films should be … [Read more...]
Who introduced malaria in which century?
QUESTION Who introduced malaria in which century, how does it cause malaria and what is the virus' name? ANSWER Malaria wasn't introduced; it has been evolving alongside humans for thousands, if not millions of years. The first known mention of malaria by humans is in an ancient Chinese medical text, from 2700 BCE (before common era). Other ancient people, such as the Romans and the … [Read more...]
Schizont
QUESTION What is a schizont? ANSWER A schizont is a malaria parasite which has matured and contains many merozoites, which are the parasite stage that infects red blood cells. Schizonts can be produces during two separate phases of the life cycle within the human host: first in the hepatocytic cells in the liver (when sporozoites mature) during the exo-erythrocytic cycle and then … [Read more...]
Malaria and Anemia
QUESTION How does malaria cause anemia? ANSWER Anemia is the result of a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood. Malaria specifically attacks red blood cells, invading them and then undergoing multiple cycles of reproduction inside them. Once replication has been completed, the malaria parasites burst out of the red blood cell, destroying it in the process. Over the course … [Read more...]
Malaria and Blood Cells
QUESTION What effect does malaria have on blood cells? ANSWER Malaria survives by invading red blood cells (erythrocytes), then replicating within them several times (the exact number and timing of replication depends on the species of malaria), then, once done with replication, bursts from inside the red blood cells, destroying it in the process. As such, malaria infection decreases the … [Read more...]
How does malaria enter the body?
QUESTION: What is the portal of entry for malaria? ANSWER: Malaria enters its human hosts via the bite of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. The malaria parasites are present in the mosquitoes saliva, and enter into the human bloodstream when the mosquito bites to take a blood meal. Once in the human body, the malaria parasite then undergoes a number of different life stages, … [Read more...]
Symptoms of Malaria
QUESTION: SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA? ANSWER: The 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. Infection with one type of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, if … [Read more...]