QUESTION where did malaria come from? ANSWER Malaria is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium. There are many species of Plasmodium, which infect many other animals as well as humans. The types of malaria which infect humans probably evolved from similar Plasmodium species in monkeys and apes; for example, P. vivax is closely related to several species of malaria … [Read more...]
Life Cycle of Malaria
QUESTION Why does the malaria parasite first enter the liver? ANSWER The malaria parasite enters the liver in order to transform from a sporozoite (which can infect liver cells) to a merozoite, which is capable of infecting red blood cells. Both stages also include a proliferation step, but in the blood, the merozoites are also able to differentiate into gametocytes, which are then taken … [Read more...]
As American as…Plasmodium vivax?
While its evolutionary history is disputed, there’s no doubt malaria was a key factor in the history of the Americas I am in the midst of a fascinating book about the way the world changed after Columbus “discovered” America in 14921. Called, appropriately, 1493: Uncovering the World Columbus Created, it is author Charles C. Mann’s follow-up to an earlier, equally engaging book on pre-Colombian … [Read more...]
Sterilizing Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria
QUESTION Is it possible to breed mosquitoes in the laboratory and then sterilize them and release them into the environment in order to reduce their rate of reproducing. ANSWER That is a very good question, and indeed efforts to genetically modify mosquitoes in order to control the various diseases they transmit are underway in many laboratories across the world. For almost 15 years, … [Read more...]