QUESTION What is malaria's scientific name? ANSWER The genus name for the single-celled parasite which causes malaria is Plasmodium. In the genus, there are five species which infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum (the most deadly kind), P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi. … [Read more...]
Malaria Drug Binding Site
QUESTION What is malaria, and drug binding site? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a single-celled protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium. Five kinds of Plasmodium are known to infect people: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi. There is no one drug binding site with respect to malaria: different anti-malarial drugs have different modes of action, and not all … [Read more...]
Malaria Recovery Time
QUESTION How long does it take to recover from malaria? ANSWER A number of different factors affect recovery time from malaria. These include the type of malaria, how quickly treatment is administered and the immune status of the patient. For example, children and pregnant women tend to get much more severe cases of malaria, due to their reduced natural immunity. The type of malaria … [Read more...]
Symptoms and Causes of Malaria
QUESTION What are the symptoms and causes of 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 … [Read more...]
What are the causes of malaria?
QUESTION What are the causes of 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 … [Read more...]
Headache and Chills with Malaria
QUESTION Could a person be infected by malaria without symptoms of headache and chills? ANSWER Malaria symptoms vary considerably, depending on the type of malaria, the severity of the infection and the patient's natural immunity. It is certainly possible for a patient to have malaria without experiencing headache and chills; some people infected with certain forms of malaria, such as … [Read more...]
How many types of malaria are there?
QUESTION How many types of malaria are there? ANSWER There are four species of malaria parasite that commonly infect humans. These are: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. In addition, a fifth species, P. knowlesi, is starting to draw public health attention as an infection in humans in south-east Asia, and particularly Borneo - previously, it was thought to only … [Read more...]
Who Discovered Malaria?
QUESTION Who discovered malaria? ANSWER People have known about malaria for thousands of years—the first record of it comes from 2700 BCE, in an ancient Chinese medical text. Other ancient peoples, such as the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, also knew the symptoms associated with malaria. But it wasn't until the 19th century that the causes of malaria were understood. In 1880, a … [Read more...]
Post Malaria Auto-Immune Disease
QUESTION I contracted P. Malariae while on a Humanitarian trip in El Salvador in 1996, despite taking the Doxycycline prophylaxis. The diagnosis was difficult, as my fever never broke 100 deg F. A sample of my blood was eventually sent to the CDC to confirm the suspicions of my Dr, who just couldn't prove the dx by smear. The titer came back positive 1. Now to my question. Have you come across … [Read more...]
Malaria Cure
QUESTION What is the cure for malaria? ANSWER Malaria can be cured with a number of different medications, depending on then type of malaria and how far the disease has been progressed. For standard, non-complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the World Health Organisation recommends use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), such as Coartem. This is due to increasing … [Read more...]