malarial infection, plasmodium, pathological identification,treatment of malaria, types of malarial infection, vectors, symptoms, laboratory diagnosis, microscopic identification, life cycle

1. MALARIA
INTRODUCTION
Malaria is caused by any one or combination of four species of
Plasmodia
species are 1. Plasmodium vivax
2. Plasmodium falciparum
3. Plasmodium ovale
4. Plasmodium malariae
The other form of species causes benign(less infectious) form of
illness

2. These parasites (Plasmodium sp) transmitted by bite of female
Anopheles mosquito
The disease is endemic in several parts of the world especially in tropical Asia,
parts of South and Central America, India and South East Asia.

3. Life cycle of Plasmodia
The vector, the Anopheles species mosquito, transmits plasmodia, which
are contained in its saliva, into its host while obtaining a blood meal.
Plasmodia enter circulating erythrocytes (red blood cells, or RBCs) and feed
on the hemoglobin and other proteins within the cells.
One brood(hatching period) of parasites becomes dominant and is
responsible for the synchronous nature of the clinical symptoms of malaria.
Malaria-carrying female Anopheles species mosquitoes tend to bite only
between dusk and dawn.

6. Plasmodium falciparum is differ from the other species in 4 aspects
1. It does not have Exo- erythrocytic stage
2. Erythrocytes of any age are parasitized while other Plasmodia
parasite juvenile red cells
3. One red cell may contain more than one parasite
4. The parasitized red cells are sticky causing obstruction of small
blood vessels by thrombi, a feature which is responsible for
extraordinary virulence of Plasmodium falciparum
The main clinical features of malaria are cycle peaks of high fever
accompanied by chills, anemia and splenomegaly.

7. Morphological features
Parasitation and destruction of erythrocytes are responsible for
major pathologic changes as under,
Hepatosplenomegaly
Malarial pigment liberated by destroyed red cells accumulates in
the phagocytic cells of the reticuloendothelial cells system resulting in
enlargement of the spleen and liver

8. HEPATOGLOBINURIC NEPHROSIS
In Falciparum malaria, there is massive absorption of haemoglobin by
the renal tubules producing black water fever
CEREBRAL MALARIA
At autopsy, it is characterized by congestion and petechial on the
white water
Parasitized erythrocytes in falciparum malaria are sticky and get
attached to endothelial cells resulting in obstruction of capillaries of deep
organs such as of the brain leading to hypoxia and death.
If the patient lives, microhemorrages and microinfarcts may be seen
in the brain

9. DIAGNOSIS

10. Microscopic identification