QUESTION What are the Host range? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a parasite, of the genus Plasmodium, which requires two organisms for the completion of its life cycle—an insect, which is usually referred to as the "vector," in which sexual reproduction occurs, and a vertebrate "host," in which asexual multiplication occurs. Different species of Plasmodium infects a large range of … [Read more...]
Structure and Size of Malaria
QUESTION What is the structure and size of malaria? ANSWER Malaria is caused by a single celled protist of the genus Plasmodium. It undergoes a complex life cycle, involving two separate asexual reproductive stages in the vertebrate host (including humans) and sexual reproduction as well as multiplication in the insect vector (all human malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes). As such, the … [Read more...]
Feeling Ill After Malaria Infection
QUESTION How soon after infection, will a person usually begin to feel ill? ANSWER There is a latent period, during which time the malaria parasites (which had entered the bloodstream via the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito) migrate to the liver and undergo replication. The sporozoites (the life stage that enters the blood from the mosquito) differentiate in many merozoites, which … [Read more...]
Pathophysiology of Malaria
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, beingPlasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi. All these species are introduced into … [Read more...]
Malaria Transmission
QUESTION Can one get malaria through contact with the infected person or is it airborne? ANSWER Malaria cannot be transmitted through direct contact with an infected person, nor is it airborne! It is actually transmitted directly via the bite of an infected mosquito. Only certain female mosquitoes, of the genus Anopheles, can carry malaria. The mosquito picks up the malaria parasite … [Read more...]
Number of Malaria Infections Per Mosquito
QUESTION How many people get malaria by one mosquito? ANSWER That is a very interesting question—the answer is that is varies between regions, and also depends on the type of mosquito. It was often believed that female mosquitoes (which feed on blood—males only feed on nectar) required a single blood meal in order to lay eggs and reproduce, and so would feed approximately once … [Read more...]