QUESTION What is the pathophysiology of malaria? ANSWER Malaria causes disease through a number of pathways, which depend to a certain extent on the species. Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus Plasmodium; there are five species which infect humans, being Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi. All these species are introduced into … [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...]
Why do people die of malaria?
QUESTION: Why is it that people die of malaria? ANSWER: The symptoms of malaria are caused by the malaria parasite reproducing inside the patient's red blood cells and eventually destroying them. In this process, the malaria parasites also produce toxic waste chemicals and debris which build up in the patient's blood stream. The body produces a strong immune response as a reaction to … [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...]
How do you get malaria?
QUESTION: How do you get malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is caused by parasites called Plasmodium, of which different species cause different types of malaria. A person gets malaria when they are bitten by certain female mosquitoes (of the species Anopheles) that carry Plasmodium parasites in their saliva. The mosquitoes themselves pick up the parasite by feeding on the blood of people already … [Read more...]
Causes of malaria
QUESTION: What are the causes of malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. These are single-celled animals known as protozoans (from the Greek 'protos' and 'zoia' which together mean 'first animal') and they are transmitted via mosquitoes that feed on blood; the parasites need both mosquito and human hosts to complete their life cycle (see below a graphic of … [Read more...]
Causes of Malaria
QUESTION: What causes malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease caused by a parasitic single-celled animal known as Plasmodium. There are different species of Plasmodium, which cause different kinds of malaria. The main types which infect humans are P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. The parasite is transmitted by certain species of mosquito; the parasite lives in the human … [Read more...]
What is malaria?
QUESTION: What is malaria? ANSWER: To answer your question, I have copied below the answer to an earlier post, published on the 1st of May, 2011, which also asked "What is malaria?": 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 … [Read more...]