Morphology, life cycle and lab Diagnosis of plasmodium

1. Plasmodium
Submitted By: Sheikh Umar Rasool
Submitted To: Miss Ravneet Sidhu

2. Plasmodium
 Plasmodium, commonly known as malaria parasites, may be described as a genus of intracellular
parasitic protozoa. They are obligate parasites of insects (such as mosquitoes) and vertebrates
and thus referred to as digenetic parasites.
 They require two different hosts in order to complete their life cycle. In vertebrates, they multiply
within liver cells and red cells where they not only obtain nourishment, but also damage the cells
(thus causing diseases).
Introduction

3. Plasmodium
 There are more than 100 species of plasmodium.
 Plasmodium species capable of causing malaria include:
• P
. vivax → Benign Tertian Malaria (Humans)
• P
. ovale → Benign Tertian Malaria (Humans)
• P
. malariae → Benign Quartan Malaria (Humans and Chimpanzees)
• P
. falciparum → Malignant Tertian Malaria (Humans)

4. Plasmodium
 P
. vivax and P
. falciparum are more common.
 P
. ovale is the rarest of the four soecies
 More than 200 million people are infected worldwide
 1 million deaths per year.
 It is the most common lethal infectious disease.
 Mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas especially Asia, Africa, Central and South America,
certain regions of South East Asia, South America and East Africa.
 Chloroquine resistant strains of P
. falciparum are found in these regions.
Geographical Distribution

5. Plasmodium
 Female Anopheles → Sexual Cycle
 Liver and RBC’s of humans → Asexual Cycle
Habitat
RBC age variable
• P
. vivax is found in youngest erythrocytes
• P
. malariae is found in oldest erythrocytes
• P
. falciparum can be found in all erythrocytes.

6. Plasmodium

7. Plasmodium
 1 red nucleus on the ring-like light blue cytoplasm; single infection in a cell
 Infected Infected RBC looks like normal RBC.
Morphology
1. P
. vivax
• Early Trophozoite (Ring Form)

8. Plasmodium
 It’s irregular in shape like ameboid with Pseudopodia; within cytoplasm, brown pigment granules
(malarial pingment – haemozoin) appear.
 Infected RBC’s are pale in colour and have Schuffner’s dots (fine red granules) in it.
• Late Trophozoite

9. Plasmodium
 Oval in shape, nucleus divided into 2-4 or more, malarial pigment begins to concentrate in mass.
• Immature Schizont

10. Plasmodium
 Nucleus is divided into 12-24; and cytoplasm is also divided
 Each nucleus is surrounded by a portion of cytoplasm to form merozoites, malarial pigment is
clumped.
• Immature Schizont

11. Plasmodium
 Oval in shape with one loose nucleus in center of it
 Malarial pigments diffuse.
• Male Gametocyte

12. Plasmodium
 Oval in shape.
 1 compact nucleus is present.
• Female Gametocyte

13. Plasmodium
 1 or 2 red nuclei on the ring like light blue cytoplasm
 Multiple infection is found
 Infected RBC looks similar to normal RBC.
 Only early Trophozoites and gametocytes can be seen in the
peripheral blood.
2. P
. falciparum
• Early Trophozoite (Ring Form)

14. Plasmodium
 Shaped like sausage
 Loose nucleus in centre of it.
 Malarial pigment diffuse.
• Male Gametocyte

15. Plasmodium
 Crescentic in shape.
 1 compact nucleus is present in centre of it.
• Female Gametocyte

16. Plasmodium
Life Cycle
Host:
• Definitive host → Female Anopheles Mosquito (Sexual Cycle)
• Intermediate host → Human (Asexual Cycle)
Vector:
• Female Anopheles Mosquito

17. Plasmodium

18. Plasmodium
Lab Diagnosis
1. Blood examniation
a) Microscopic examination
•Take blood during pyrexia
•Thick and thin smears made, dried and stained
•Thick smear → for checking presence of organisms
•Thin smear → for identification of species.
b) TLC and DLC
• TLC low → leucopenia
2. Biopsy
• BM and liver biopsies in difficult cases.

19. Plasmodium
THICK AND THIN SMEAR

20. Thank You