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Malaria Is An Infectious Disease
Background Malaria is considered as one of the deadliest diseases around the world. The cases of
malaria are getting worse and more serious especially in the African countries. Almost 40% of the
world's population could be affected by the disease. Malaria could cause over 1 million deaths each
year and could result to enormous damages to human and social–being (Gething et al., 2014). Most
of the international organizations concerning human health have been working on provisions for
early the diagnosis and treatment of the disease as well as selective measures such as vector control.
Definition
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasitic protozoans which belong to the plasmodium type.
It is commonly transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite transfers the bacteria
into the bloodstream. The parasite migrates to the liver and reproduce. (Slutsker & Kachur, 2013).
Brief History The cases of malaria could be recognized from the writings of ancient civilization.
There are ancient Chinese writings which described the symptoms of malaria (Gething et al.,
2014). However, its mechanism is not known until the discovery of the malaria parasite. The
parasite was discovered by Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran who is a French surgeon. He noticed
the parasites in the blood of the patient diagnosed with malaria. He was awarded Nobel Prize for his
discovery. In addition, the widely used antimalarial drug that is used in the modern times is
discovered during the
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Malaria Essay
Malaria (also called biduoterian fever, blackwater fever, falciparum malaria, plasmodium, Quartan
malaria, and tertian malaria) is one of the most infectious and most common diseases in the world.
This serious, sometimes–fatal disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a certain species of
mosquito called the Anopheles. It claims more lives every year than any other transmissible disease
except tuberculosis. Every year, five hundred million adults and children (around nine percent of the
world's population) contract the disease and of these, one hundred million people die. Children are
more susceptible to the disease than adults, and in Africa, where ninety percent of the world's cases
occur and where eighty percent of the cases...show more content...
Also, only female mosquitoes can distribute the disease, as male mosquitoes do not feed on humans.
Mosquitoes pass malaria to humans through their salivary glands. Once the parasites have entered
the blood stream, they go to the liver. In the liver they mature and undergo reproduction, forming
merozoites. These merozoites enter the blood stream and inject themselves into red blood cells. Once
inside the blood cells, they reproduce rapidly and within forty–eight to seventy–two hours, the blood
cell bursts, releasing hemoglobin into the blood stream. It is the destruction of these blood cells and
the hemoglobin released into the blood stream that actually causes most of the symptoms.
While the most common way malaria is transmitted is from mosquitoes to humans, there are other
ways of catching the disease. One way is from mother to her unborn child. When a disease is
contracted this way it is said to have been transmitted congenitally. Another way is during blood
transfusions. This is why it is important to be tested for diseases such as malaria before you give
blood.
Malaria is diagnosed in two different ways. The most exact way is by an examination of the blood.
To do this, a doctor would take a drop of blood, stain it, and look at it under a microscope to see if
there were any parasites in it. Diagnosing malaria by the symptoms it causes is not as exact as
blood examination, but is used a lot in Africa, where most cases are treated at
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Why Is Malaria So Deadly
Malaria is considered one of the deadliest pandemics in the world. It kills 1 million people every
year, and kills a child every 30 seconds. Ebola and the Black Death look wimpy compared to it,
even when we know how to cure Malaria. But why is it so deadly, and how can we stop it? Malaria
is found around the equator, mostly on the continent of Africa. 3.6 billion people live in Malaria
exposed areas. That means about 50% of the population is exposed, while 300–400 million people
get it every year. Malaria is a parasite, meaning it really isn't a disease. Mosquitoes spread the
Malaria parasite by biting an infected person. When they do that they take the blood containing the
parasite, and the parasite then lives in it saliva. Then the next time the bite someone, the parasite
then travels into its' next host. Malaria can only thrive in areas that are warm because it has to live
all year to be able to spread....show more content...
When blood cells get infected they become sticky, which causes the blood to stick to your veins.
Then eventually it leads to clogging your bloodstream. As this happens over time, your blood
flow is decreased, which can lead to complications. In other words, organs that need blood get
deprived of oxygen and die. Some organs, like the Brain and Lungs, are required to live, which is
why it is so deadly. Some of The symptoms include headaches and rapid changes in temperature.
Extreme cases lead to impaired consciousness, comas, and
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Malaria Essay
Malaria
Malaria parasites have been with us since the beginning of time, and fossils of mosquitoes up to
thirty million years old show that malaria's vector has existed for just as long. The parasites causing
malaria are highly specific, with man as the only host and mosquitoes as the only vector. Every year,
300,000,000 people are affected by malaria, and while less than one percent of these people die,
there are still an estimated 1,500,000 deaths per year. While
Malaria was one of the first infectious diseases to be treated successfully with a drug, scientist are
still looking for a cure or at least a vaccination today
(Cann, 1996). Though many people are aware that malaria is a disease, they are
unaware...show more content...
Here, sexual forms of the parasite develop in the stomach of the Anopheles mosquito completing the
parasites life cycle (Herman, 1996).
People infected malaria have several symptoms including fever, chills, headaches, weakness, and an
enlarged spleen (Herman, 1996). The amount of time for symptoms to appear differs depending on
the form of the parasite. Those infected with Plasmodium falciparum experience symptoms after
about twenty–four hours, those infected with Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale produce
symptoms after a forty–eight hour interval, and after seventy–two hours
Plasmodium malariae begin causing fever and chills (Cann, 1996).
Most malaria cases seem to cluster in the tropical climate areas extending into the subtropics, and
malaria is especially endemic in Africa. In
1990 eighty percent of all reported cases were in Africa, while the remainder of most cases came
from nine countries: India, Brazil, Afghanistan, Sri–Lanka,
Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. Globally, the disease circulates in almost one
hundred countries causing up to 1,500,000 deaths annually (Cann, 1996).
Because there is no definite cure for malaria, scientists are trying their hardest to contain the parasite
to where it now exists. The range of a vector from a suitable habitat is fortunately limited to a
maximum
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Essay Malaria
Malaria (also called biduoterian fever, blackwater fever, falciparum malaria, plasmodium, Quartan
malaria, and tertian malaria) is one of the most infectious and most common diseases in the world.
This serious, sometimes–fatal disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a certain species of
mosquito called the Anopheles. It claims more lives every year than any other transmissible disease
except tuberculosis. Every year, five hundred million adults and children (around nine percent of the
world's population) contract the disease and of these, one hundred million people die. Children are
more susceptible to the disease than adults, and in Africa, where ninety percent of the world's cases
occur and where eighty percent of the...show more content...
To contract malaria, a mosquito, but not just any mosquito must bite a human. The only type of
mosquito that can infect humans with the malaria virus is the Anopheles mosquito. While there are
around three hundred eighty species of the Anopheline mosquito, only about sixty are actually able
to spread the disease to humans. Also, only female mosquitoes can distribute the disease, as male
mosquitoes do not feed on humans.
Mosquitoes pass malaria to humans through their salivary glands. Once the parasites have entered
the blood stream, they go to the liver. In the liver they mature and undergo reproduction, forming
merozoites. These merozoites enter the blood stream and inject themselves into red blood cells.
Once inside the blood cells, they reproduce rapidly and within forty–eight to seventy–two hours, the
blood cell bursts, releasing hemoglobin into the blood stream. It is the destruction of these blood
cells and the hemoglobin released into the blood stream that actually causes most of the symptoms.
While the most common way malaria is transmitted is from mosquitoes to humans, there are other
ways of catching the disease. One way is from mother to her unborn child. When a disease is
contracted this way it is said to have been transmitted congenitally. Another way is during blood
transfusions. This is why it is important to be tested for
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Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa Essay
Malaria is blood disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. This disease occurs widely in poor,
subtropical and tropical regions of the world. One subtropical region that has been greatly affected
by this disease is Sub–Saharan Africa. According to Olowookere, Adeleke, Kuteyi, and Mbakwe
(2013) malaria is one of the leading causes of death and illness in sub–Saharan Africa. It is important
to be aware of the impacts this disease carries and how it has greatly affected millions of people.
This paper will explain the impacts of Malaria and discuss, compare, and contrast the malaria
research conducted by various researchers and reflect on the issue.
Many factors contribute to the high mortality from malaria in sub–Saharan Africa. One...show more
content...
For the most part, all of the researchers findings agreed with each other, but some researchers
found that certain measures would be more effective than others. Fullman, Burstein, Lim, Medlin
and Gakidou (2013) examined the impacts of using bed nets, spray, or even both to prevent
transmission. They found that people living in low and medium transmission areas had both
insecticide treated bed nets and used indoor residual sprays. They also found that the risk of
malaria was reduced by 53% with the use of both these interventions (Fullman et al., 2013)
However, Olowookere et al. (2013) disagreed, suggesting that the use of insecticide treated nets and
preventive education would decrease the spread of this disease. Eisele, Larsen, Walker, Cibulski,
Yukich, Zikusooka, and Steketee (2012) agreed with both researchers on the use of bed nets, stating
that over a 10 year scale–up of malaria prevention roughly "842,800 potential child deaths were
prevented" (p. 96) and "roughly 831,100 of those 842,800 deaths were prevented through the
contribution of insecticide treated bed nets" (p. 96) . Along with the rest of the researchers, Lim,
Fullman, Stokes, Ravishankar, Masiye, Murray and Gakidou (2013) found that "sleeping under bed
nets reduced the malaria prevalence among children by 24 %"(p. 8) and "the ownership of one bed
net would reduce child mortality by 23%" (p. 8).
The methods used for
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Malaria Research Paper
Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite. Infected mosquitoes spread it. Malaria is very
common throughout the world. In the United States, the main risk is to persons traveling to tropical
and subtropical countries where malaria is a problem. There are four different types of malaria
caused by four related parasites. The most deadly type occurs in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
The symptoms characteristic of malaria include fever, chills, muscle aches, and headache. Cycles
of chills, fever, and sweating that recur every 1, 2 or 3 days are typical. There can sometimes be
vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing and yellowing (jaundice) of the skin and whites of the eyes. The
treatment for malaria depends upon the geographic area where a person has been infected with the
disease. Different areas of the world have malaria types that are resistant to certain medications.
Malaria is a disease which can be transmitted to people of all ages. It is caused by parasites of the
species Plasmodium that are spread from person to person through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
Malaria is a parasitic disease that involves infection of the red blood cells. Of the four types of
malaria, the most serious type is falciparum malaria, which can be life–threatening. The other three
types of malaria (vivax, malariae, and ovale) are generally less serious and are not life–threatening.
The scientific name of...show more content...
Jaundice.
3. Stools, bloody.
4. Muscle pain.
5. Anemia.
6. Headache.
7. Nausea and vomiting.
Treatment of Malaria
Prevention of malaria what is practiced in epidemic areas is by spraying insecticides like DDT.
Many new drugs are available for malaria, however most of the drugs are derived from Quinine
derivatives. Malaria often requires treatment with medicine (antimalarial medications). Most of the
time antimalarial medications effectively treat the infection; however, some malaria parasites may
survive because they are in the liver or are resistant to the
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Malaria And Its Effects On Human History Essay
Malaria is an ancient disease caused by parasites in the genus Plasmodium. Mosquitoes infected with
a malaria parasite have been found preserved in approximately 30–million–year–old amber
(Mehlhorn, et al.), and the malaria antigen has been detected in the tissues of Egyptian remains
dating back to 3200 BC (Miller, et al.). There are many examples where malaria epidemics have had
a significant impact on human history, and this is especially evident during the many wars
throughout history. As far back as the fourth century A.D., Attila the Hun's invasion of Rome was
stopped because of malaria (Kakkilaya). During the Revolutionary War, malaria helped the
Americans win their independence because many of the British armies were too sick to fight
(McNiell). During World War I, British, French, German, and American armies were unable to
fight because of malaria (Kakkilaya). A French commanding general when ordered to attack was
reported to have replied, "Regret that my army is in hospital with malaria" (Kakkilaya). In World
War II, early during the Pacific campaign, more soldiers fell to malaria than to enemy ("Institute of
Medicine"). Malaria Control in War Areas (MCWA) was founded in 1942 to control malaria near
military training bases in the United States ("Our History – Our Story"). After World War II, MCWA
went on to become the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Because the South was where most
malaria transmission occurred and was where the MCWA had been
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Infectious Disease: Malaria Essay
Section 1
Malaria
General Information
Malaria is a common infectious disease found mainly in the tropics but in rare circumstances can be
found in temperate areas. Depending on the circumstances malaria can be either life threatening
cause serious illness.
It is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium species(in text reference). These parasites are carried by
mosquitoes which become infected after biting someone who has malaria. Malaria is then passed on
to others when the infected mosquito bites another person. In rare cases malaria can be passed to
another person through blood transfusions, organ donations or shared needles.
On average there are around 300–500 million people who become infected with malaria every year,
with most of the...show more content...
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms that are usually associated with yellow fever include fever, poor appetite, nausea, chills,
muscle pains in the back and headaches abdominal back pain. These symptoms usually subside after
five days. These symptoms sometimes reoccur. Abdominal pain and liver damage starts causing
yellow skin. There also is a higher chance of kidney problems. About 15–15% then proceed to the
'toxic' stage of which around 50% then die around 14 days after catching yellow fever.
Dengue Fever
General Information
Dengue fever is a mosquito–transmitted virus, it is a Flavivirus which is the same genus as yellow
fever. There are five different varieties of the virus and being infected usually gives lifelong
immunity to that particular variety and short–term immunity to the other varieties. However this also
increases the risk of having a severe reaction to the other types, this risk rises with exposure to
another type and so on.
Symptoms and Treatment
Symptoms from the virus include headaches, back pain, joint pains, fever and a skin rash, which is
similar in appearance to measles. A small percentage of infections the disease develops into a life
threatening dengue haemorrhagic fever, which results in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and
blood plasma leakage. The other life threatening possibility is dengue shock syndrome; this
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Understanding Malaria Essay
Understanding Malaria
For several years, I have had an interest in virology and the spread and characteristics of various
infectious diseases. Though it makes sense not to possibly induce a state of panic by informing
individuals of illnesses that are not native to the area they live in and that they are not likely to
contract, I have always liked to remain informed out of my own curiosity and interest. Thus, I have
decided to write about malaria.
Malaria kills more people than any communicable disease except for tuberculosis. It is caused by
four species of parasitic protozoa that infect human red blood cells. Four different types of these
protozoa are known: protozoa falciparum, protozoa vivax, protozoa ovale, and...show more content...
Malaria, however, is not unique to Africa. There are a multitude of documented cases in Asia
annually, particularly in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Malaria has
also been known to occur in portions of Iran and the Middle East. Lower altitude regions of South
and Central America also have their share of annual malaria cases, but control programs set up in
those regions typically keep things under control. Generally, North America, Europe, and the
Carribean have been highly successful in the control and elimination of malaria, although isolated,
rare cases of local transmission have occured in Haiti, Turkey, and the Dominican Republic.
Medical treatment for malaria is available and the disease is curable if promptly diagnosed and
treated well. This is crucial because those who have malaria parasites available for mosquitoes to
feed on are perpetuating the spread of the disease. However, if these people are treated with the
appropriate drugs, the parasites disappear from their bloodstream. This helps to reduce the
transmission of the disease. Unfortunately, not everyone is responsive to drug treatments for malaria
and thus a variety of alternatives need to be available. Not everyone with malaria parasites in their
bloodstream shows the symptoms of malaria and the disease itself is becoming resistant to some of
the drugs used to treat
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Characteristics Of The Malaria
Malaria is starting to become one of the worlds most common infectious diseases and problem to
peoples health around the world. This report will highlight the importance of learning the signs and
symptoms of the Malaria disease, how to prevent becoming infected with it and how to treat it if
someone does come in contact with it. It will also describe the characteristics of the four major
types of Plasmodium that affects humans along with the the complete classification, pathogenesis,
how it is transmitted from one host to another, and who and what country is affected most from this
infectious disease. Within the Malarian disease, there are many species of the Plasmodium parasites,
and only 4 of those species affects the human population. Those species include the Plasmodium
falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae (Wiser, 2011). There
is various differences between these four, but they do all have one thing in common and that is that
they all form rings. The Plasmodium falciparum has numerous rings that are smaller, it has no
trophozoites or schizonts, it is also a crescent–shaped gametocyte. The Plasmodium vivax has a
enlarged erythrocyte, Schuffner's dots, and ameboid trophozoites. The Plasmodium ovale is similar
to the Plasmodium ovale, it has compact trophozoites, fewer merozoites in schizont, and elongated
erythrocytes. The Plasmodium Malariae is a compact parasite and it has merozoites in rosette
(Wiser, 2011). To further identify this infectious disease, it can be broken down into its taxonomic
classification. It starts with the Kingdom being Protista, Subkingdom being Protozoa, the Phylum
being apicomplexa, the Class is sporozoasida, Order is eucoccidiorida, Family is plasmodiidae,
Genus being plasmodium and the species being falciparum, malariae, ovale, and vivax. (Keas, 1999).
The mechanism of Malaria is from a Plasmodium parasite, that originate in female Anopheles
mosquitoes, that can spread into humans from the bites of the infected mosquitoes (Mohandas &
An, 2012). Among the "Plasmodia species... only 4 of the over 100 species of plasmodia are
infectious to humans. The majority of cases and almost all deaths are caused by Plasmodium
falciparum, Plasmodium vivax,
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Malaria Essay
Malaria is regarded as one of the world's deadliest tropical parasitic diseases. It claims more lives
than any other communicable disease except tuberculosis. In Africa and other developing countries,
it also accounts for millions of dollars in medical costs. Malaria, however, is a curable disease if
promptly diagnosed and adequately treated.
Malaria is a mosquito–borne disease caused by the parasite plasmodium. In recent years, most cases
in the U.S. have been in people who have acquired the disease after travelling to tropical and
sub–tropical areas. Over 200 million cases worldwide are reported each year.
Estimates of deaths caused by malaria exceed 1 million each year, with the majority being African
children. Other groups at risk...show more content...
Areas Stricken with the Disease
Malaria strikes poverty–stricken with the hardest blow. Malaria prevalent areas include some of the
world's poorest nations. In Africa, medical costs and related expenses have been estimated at 1–5%
gross domestic product.
Farming communities are particularly affected as well. In rural areas, the rainy season is a time of
intense agricultural activity, when poor families earn most of their income. When malaria strikes at
this time, these families are unable to make a living.
Malaria and Children
Malaria claims the life of a child every 30 seconds. This disease has reached epidemic proportions
in many regions of the world, and continues to grow unchecked. Malaria kills 3,000 children under
five years of age every day. This rate exceeds the mortality toll from AIDS.
Young African are chronic victims of malaria, suffering an average of six bouts a year. Too often,
severely afflicted children die less than 72 hours after developing the symptoms. Of the children who
survive, malaria also drains vital nutrients, impairing their physical and intellectual development.
Malaria is also particularly dangerous pregnant women. It causes severe anemia, and is a major
factor contributing to maternal deaths in malaria infected areas. Pregnant mothers who have malaria
and are HIV–positive are more likely to pass on their HIV status to the unborn child.
Economic Costs
The estimated economic costs of malaria are enormous.
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Essay on malaria
It is one of the ten deadliest diseases of all time. It effects men, women, children, and animals. It is
in full force in Africa, India, Asia, China, South America, and the Caribbean. This disease is
malaria. Nearly 40 percent of the world's population lives in areas that are effected by the disease.
Malaria is a serious, infectious disease spread by certain mosquitoes. It is caused by infection with
the Plasmodium genus of the protozoan parasite. More than one hundred species of this parasite
exist. It is capable of infecting reptiles, birds, rodents, and primates. Four species infect human
beings, the most common being P.vivax and P. falciparum.
...show more content...
The period between the two is usually 8 and 12 days for falciparum malaria, and up to a month for
other types. Symptoms from some strains of P.Vivax may not be seen for up to 8–10 months.
The primary symptom of all types of malaria is the "malaria ague" (chills and fever). In most
cases the fever has three stages. Uncontrollable shivering for an hour or two, followed by a rapid
rise in temperature as high as (106 degrees) which lasts for three hours. Then just as suddenly the
patient begins to sweat profusely. Other symptoms may include fatigue, severe headache, or
nausea and vomiting. As the sweat goes away the patient feels weak and falls asleep. In many
cases this cycle of chills, fever, and sweating occurs every other day, or they may last for between
a week and a month. Those with the chronic form of malaria may have a relapse as long as 50 years
after the initial infection.
Falciparum malaria is far more severe than other types of malaria because the parasite attacks all
red blood cells, not just the young or old cells, as do other types. It causes the red blood cells to
become very "sticky". A patient with this type can die within hours of the first symptoms. The fever
is prolonged. So many red blood cells are destroyed that they block the blood vessels in vital organs
(especially the kidneys) and the spleen can become enlarged. There may be brain damage,
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Malaria Research Paper
Defined by Merriam–Webster Dictionary, "Malaria is a kind of intermittent and remittent disease
that spreads into the red blood cells of a human being once coming in contact with the disease."
The parasite is a part and prime focus of the disease, then sets in the red blood cells and damages
the entire human body (Webb 281). Malaria is a disease that was not as common in the old world as
it is in the new world. Due to rampant progression in transport and infrastructure, the threat of
malaria has increased staggeringly. This is because malaria is effective in any given population.
However, it is mostly found when looked after, except in places which are more complex and
sophisticated since barring such locations would cause mass panic in the...show more content...
Insecticide–treated nets have been experimented in Africa and have proved to be successful in
completely cutting the threat of malaria within Africa by 50% (NFL 3). The fact that even a single
percept is dropping in the threat of malaria is reason enough to allow such an innovation to be
implemented against the disease in Africa. However, to implement insecticide–treated nets, it is also
important to ensure that such nets are distributed without corruption or biased opinions within the
region (Jr. 13). Once this method is applied, no matter how costly it may prove to be, it is sure to
cure the repeated and drastic problem of
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Malaria Case Study
Following the infected female Anopheles mosquito bite the incubation period varies. The type of
Plasmodium parasite responsible for the infection plays a big factor in the time frame. Antimalarial
drugs may also increase the length of the Malaria incubation period. Estimated time frame is 9–14
days for Plasmodium falciparum, 12–18 days for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale and
18–40 days for Plasmodium malarie. Delays between exposure and development of symptoms in
patients can result in misdiagnoses or delayed diagnosis because of reduced clinical suspicion of the
healthcare provider (CDC, 2017. It's important to remind healthcare providers of any recent travel
within 12 months to any malaria endemic areas.
Symptoms of...show more content...
Patients with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium ovale infections may experience additional
relapses after months or even years without symptoms. Relapses occur because these two parasites
have dormant liver stage parasites that may reactivate (CDC, 2017). Treatment to prevent chances of
relapse is available. Patients should follow the treatment of their first attack.
Diagnosis
It is critical to obtain a history of recent or remote travel to an endemic area for patients with
suspected Malaria. Also, it is important to acquire about the patient's immune status, age, pregnancy
status, medications, allergies and any medical conditions he or she may have. Diagnosis of Malaria
depends on the demonstration of parasites in the blood, usually by microscopy (CDC, 2017).
Workup for Malaria depends on patient's chief complaint. Patients will get labs drawn to check their
hemoglobin, liver function, renal function, electrolytes, and white blood cells. Rapid HIV test may
be ordered in select cases. There are alternative diagnostic methods to blood smear testing.
Alternative methods are typically used if laboratory does not have sufficient experience in detecting
parasites in blood smears. Rapid diagnostic tests give results within 15–20 minutes and are
considered qualitative tests. These tests detect one or more of the following antigens; Histidine–rich
protein 2, Plasmodium Lactate Dehydrogenase and Aldolase. Three other alternative tests are
molecular techniques
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Prevention And Treatment Of Malaria Essay
Malaria adversely affects millions of people around the world, especially in developing countries,
due to the lack of awareness, deficiency of prevention tools, and several other factors. Malaria has
several effects on the people, including increased health costs, a rise in health problems in the
community, adverse effects on blood and blood donors, and loss of life.
Loss of Life
The deterioration of health and development of several serious symptoms, including fever,
headaches, fatigue, and the loss of life are the most prominent effects of malaria. Malaria causes
thousands of preventable deaths each year around the world, including children and pregnant women
despite the prevention and treatment methods. Malaria is prevalent in many regions despite
adequate preventive measures, especially developing countries, including South Asia, South
America, and Africa. Although developed countries also experience outbreaks of malaria, the death
rate relevant to the disease is considerably lower than developing nations due to effective policies
and strategies. Although governments and healthcare professionals can curb or alleviate the
prevalence of the illness in many regions, thousands of people die due to malaria regardless of the
measures. The loss of life stemming from the sickness is a serious issue mainly because the
government, community, and healthcare sector can save lives through prevention, treatment, and
awareness.
Effects on Blood and Blood Donors
Malaria can adversely
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Plasmodium Falciparum
Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite. It is unique of the class of Plasmodium that is the
foundation and cause malaria in individuals. There are other Plasmodium species that can cause
malaria in humans. Nevertheless P. falciparum is the most common, virulent, and deadly. P.
falciparum communicable by the female Anopheles mosquito.
P. falciparum life cycle is comprised of two hosts. A P. falciparum carrier female Anopheles
mosquito injects sporozoites into the human, infecting their liver cells. Once there infection and
damage to red blood cells is critical to the parasites survival. Because red blood cells transport
oxygen all over the body, their destruction by P. falciparum causes basic functional devastation to the
host....show more content...
falciparum, whereas in most other countries with malaria transmission, other, less virulent
plasmodial species predominate. Almost every malarial death is caused by P. falciparum.[
Malaria is caused by an infection with protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. The name malaria, from
the Italian mala aria, meaning "bad air", comes from the linkage suggested by Giovanni Maria
Lancisi (1717) of malaria with the poisonous vapours of swamps. This species name comes from
the Latin falx, meaning "sickle", and parere meaning "to give birth". The organism itself was first
seen by Laveran on November 6, 1880 at a military hospital in Constantine, Algeria, when he
discovered a microgametocyte exflagellating. Patrick Manson (1894) hypothesised that mosquitoes
could transmit malaria. This hypothesis was experimentally confirmed independently by Giovanni
Battista Grassi and Ronald Ross in 1898. Grassi (1900) proposed an exerythrocytic stage in the life
cycle, later confirmed by Short, Garnham, Covell and Shute (1948), who found Plasmodium vivax in
the human liver.
Epidemiology of the major disease/organism. Around the world, malaria is the most significant
parasitic disease of humans, and claims the lives of more children worldwide than any other
infectious disease. Since 1900, the area of the world exposed to malaria has been halved, yet two
billion more
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Malaria Is A Threat Of Malaria
Malaria, just the very name rings with menace. It is a life threatening disease cause by parasites
transmitted from infected bites of female mosquitoes. Now if you live in any area that is humid,
hot, and prone to rain or near water and has mosquitos you are at risk for contracting this parasite.
Normally Africa, South America, Middle East, rarely developed countries. About 3.2 billion people,
almost half of the world's population, are at risk of malaria. Granted we live in a time where in the
United States malaria is rare to hear about these days but in developing and undeveloped
countries, Malaria is a very real threat. Malaria has been plaguing societies for years. Only
recently has the Unites States and other countries been able to make it a rare instance due to
control of mosquitos. The symptoms of malaria was first described in Chinese writings, the Nei
Ching (2700 BC). It became widely known in Greece, Hippocrates noted the principle symptoms. In
the Susruta, a Sanskrit medical treatise, the symptoms of malaria were described and attributed to
certain bites of insects. Some Roman writers thought the diseases were attributed to swampy areas.
In the New World, Indians told Spanish missionaries of the medical bark they used to treat the
fevers of those infected with malaria. With the bark it actually cured the wife of the Viceroy of Peru.
After this the bark from that tree was called Cinchona after the countess. The antimalarial, quinine,
derives from this bark and
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Malaria Essay
Malaria
There are a great number of diseases that are endemic in many of the poorer, developing nations
due to the lack of sanitation and disease prevention programs in these areas. The steady increase of
malaria epidemics in many of the African countries is a point of great concern, because this
continent is home to 90% of the world's total cases of this particular disease.
Malaria gets its name from "mal aria," meaning bad air, because patients used to blame the sudden
illness on the poor air quality of the nearby swamps. Scientists now know that malaria is a parasitic
infection caused by a single–celled protozoan, Plasmodium. Of the four types of this parasite,
Plasmodium falciparum is recognized as the most...show more content...
This is largely due to the misuse of the prescription antibiotic and a lack of education on how to
properly take the medication. The symptoms of malaria will sometimes be alleviated in a very short
time of taking the antibiotic and patients will stop refilling their prescription, assuming that they
have been cured. The medication should still be taken, however, to insure that the infection has been
eliminated from the body completely, not to return again with an increased severity as happens in
some patients. The misuse of antibiotic drugs contributes to the growing number of resistant
populations of Plasmodium, a chief concern in the care of malarial patients, because these patients
do not respond to the DDT antibiotics and, therefore, must seek alternative methods of treatment.
Unlike that of many other diseases that, unfortunately, plague the world's population today, the
technology exists for the prevention, treatment, and cure of malaria and it is widely used. The
prevalence of the disease in many of the tropical regions is due to the harsh reality that many of
these people cannot afford the antibiotics or mosquito repellents that could easily save their lives.
The absence of effective sanitation programs is also a leading cause of uncontrolled disease
outbreaks because the bacteria or parasite has an increased available breeding ground. The only
method of decreasing
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There are currently five distinct protozoan vertebrate Plasmodium species identified as causal
agents of malaria in humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovalae, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi, with
the most common, P. falciparum, accounting for approximately seventy percent of all cases. The
female Anopheles gambiae is a vector for all plasmodia of malaria, as observed by Ronald Ross in
1897 (Nobel Media, 2014) , and acquires the Plasmodium by feeding on the blood of an already
infected human. Subsequently, the Plasmodium multiplies, and migrates from the midgut of the
insect to the oesophagus, ready to be regurgitated into the bloodstream when the mosquito obtains a
blood meal from a human (NIH, 2017) . Ultimately, once inoculated by the...show more content...
Alternatively, in the P. vivax and P. ovale species, it is possible that the disease will prove
asymptomatic, though not benign, for many months (Chen et al, 2016) , as the sporozoites are able
to remain 'dormant' in the liver as hypnozoites. However, it is more common that symptoms will
appear within one month of being bitten by a carrier mosquito (Herchline, 2017) .
The life cycle of the malaria plasmodia once inside the body is both complex and systematic (see
Figure 1). For example, in the case of P. falciparum, the parasite adheres to the vascular endothelium
of the vital organs of its host, such as the liver, as well as subcutaneous adipose tissues, in a process
of cytoadherence. In the hepatic stage, the Plasmodium enters hepatocytes as a sporozoite, and
multiplies, forming a schizont, which will rupture and invade surrounding erythrocytes. The
Plasmodium, in the form of a merozoite, then replicates by asexual intraerythrocytic reproduction,
and changes the antigenicity of an erythrocyte, causing it to adhere to neighbouring cells.
Sequestration of erythrocytes in this manner can cause blockages within the blood vessels; in the
brain, this can lead to cerebral malaria– a fatal complication of malaria. Additionally, the
congregation of erythrocytes facilitates the movement of the Plasmodium from one cell to the next,
encouraging the rapid replication of the parasite within cells.
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Malaria Essay

  • 1. Malaria Is An Infectious Disease Background Malaria is considered as one of the deadliest diseases around the world. The cases of malaria are getting worse and more serious especially in the African countries. Almost 40% of the world's population could be affected by the disease. Malaria could cause over 1 million deaths each year and could result to enormous damages to human and social–being (Gething et al., 2014). Most of the international organizations concerning human health have been working on provisions for early the diagnosis and treatment of the disease as well as selective measures such as vector control. Definition Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasitic protozoans which belong to the plasmodium type. It is commonly transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite transfers the bacteria into the bloodstream. The parasite migrates to the liver and reproduce. (Slutsker & Kachur, 2013). Brief History The cases of malaria could be recognized from the writings of ancient civilization. There are ancient Chinese writings which described the symptoms of malaria (Gething et al., 2014). However, its mechanism is not known until the discovery of the malaria parasite. The parasite was discovered by Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran who is a French surgeon. He noticed the parasites in the blood of the patient diagnosed with malaria. He was awarded Nobel Prize for his discovery. In addition, the widely used antimalarial drug that is used in the modern times is discovered during the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. Malaria Essay Malaria (also called biduoterian fever, blackwater fever, falciparum malaria, plasmodium, Quartan malaria, and tertian malaria) is one of the most infectious and most common diseases in the world. This serious, sometimes–fatal disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a certain species of mosquito called the Anopheles. It claims more lives every year than any other transmissible disease except tuberculosis. Every year, five hundred million adults and children (around nine percent of the world's population) contract the disease and of these, one hundred million people die. Children are more susceptible to the disease than adults, and in Africa, where ninety percent of the world's cases occur and where eighty percent of the cases...show more content... Also, only female mosquitoes can distribute the disease, as male mosquitoes do not feed on humans. Mosquitoes pass malaria to humans through their salivary glands. Once the parasites have entered the blood stream, they go to the liver. In the liver they mature and undergo reproduction, forming merozoites. These merozoites enter the blood stream and inject themselves into red blood cells. Once inside the blood cells, they reproduce rapidly and within forty–eight to seventy–two hours, the blood cell bursts, releasing hemoglobin into the blood stream. It is the destruction of these blood cells and the hemoglobin released into the blood stream that actually causes most of the symptoms. While the most common way malaria is transmitted is from mosquitoes to humans, there are other ways of catching the disease. One way is from mother to her unborn child. When a disease is contracted this way it is said to have been transmitted congenitally. Another way is during blood transfusions. This is why it is important to be tested for diseases such as malaria before you give blood. Malaria is diagnosed in two different ways. The most exact way is by an examination of the blood. To do this, a doctor would take a drop of blood, stain it, and look at it under a microscope to see if there were any parasites in it. Diagnosing malaria by the symptoms it causes is not as exact as blood examination, but is used a lot in Africa, where most cases are treated at Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. Why Is Malaria So Deadly Malaria is considered one of the deadliest pandemics in the world. It kills 1 million people every year, and kills a child every 30 seconds. Ebola and the Black Death look wimpy compared to it, even when we know how to cure Malaria. But why is it so deadly, and how can we stop it? Malaria is found around the equator, mostly on the continent of Africa. 3.6 billion people live in Malaria exposed areas. That means about 50% of the population is exposed, while 300–400 million people get it every year. Malaria is a parasite, meaning it really isn't a disease. Mosquitoes spread the Malaria parasite by biting an infected person. When they do that they take the blood containing the parasite, and the parasite then lives in it saliva. Then the next time the bite someone, the parasite then travels into its' next host. Malaria can only thrive in areas that are warm because it has to live all year to be able to spread....show more content... When blood cells get infected they become sticky, which causes the blood to stick to your veins. Then eventually it leads to clogging your bloodstream. As this happens over time, your blood flow is decreased, which can lead to complications. In other words, organs that need blood get deprived of oxygen and die. Some organs, like the Brain and Lungs, are required to live, which is why it is so deadly. Some of The symptoms include headaches and rapid changes in temperature. Extreme cases lead to impaired consciousness, comas, and Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 4. Malaria Essay Malaria Malaria parasites have been with us since the beginning of time, and fossils of mosquitoes up to thirty million years old show that malaria's vector has existed for just as long. The parasites causing malaria are highly specific, with man as the only host and mosquitoes as the only vector. Every year, 300,000,000 people are affected by malaria, and while less than one percent of these people die, there are still an estimated 1,500,000 deaths per year. While Malaria was one of the first infectious diseases to be treated successfully with a drug, scientist are still looking for a cure or at least a vaccination today (Cann, 1996). Though many people are aware that malaria is a disease, they are unaware...show more content... Here, sexual forms of the parasite develop in the stomach of the Anopheles mosquito completing the parasites life cycle (Herman, 1996). People infected malaria have several symptoms including fever, chills, headaches, weakness, and an enlarged spleen (Herman, 1996). The amount of time for symptoms to appear differs depending on the form of the parasite. Those infected with Plasmodium falciparum experience symptoms after about twenty–four hours, those infected with Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale produce symptoms after a forty–eight hour interval, and after seventy–two hours Plasmodium malariae begin causing fever and chills (Cann, 1996). Most malaria cases seem to cluster in the tropical climate areas extending into the subtropics, and malaria is especially endemic in Africa. In 1990 eighty percent of all reported cases were in Africa, while the remainder of most cases came from nine countries: India, Brazil, Afghanistan, Sri–Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. Globally, the disease circulates in almost one hundred countries causing up to 1,500,000 deaths annually (Cann, 1996). Because there is no definite cure for malaria, scientists are trying their hardest to contain the parasite to where it now exists. The range of a vector from a suitable habitat is fortunately limited to a maximum Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. Essay Malaria Malaria (also called biduoterian fever, blackwater fever, falciparum malaria, plasmodium, Quartan malaria, and tertian malaria) is one of the most infectious and most common diseases in the world. This serious, sometimes–fatal disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a certain species of mosquito called the Anopheles. It claims more lives every year than any other transmissible disease except tuberculosis. Every year, five hundred million adults and children (around nine percent of the world's population) contract the disease and of these, one hundred million people die. Children are more susceptible to the disease than adults, and in Africa, where ninety percent of the world's cases occur and where eighty percent of the...show more content... To contract malaria, a mosquito, but not just any mosquito must bite a human. The only type of mosquito that can infect humans with the malaria virus is the Anopheles mosquito. While there are around three hundred eighty species of the Anopheline mosquito, only about sixty are actually able to spread the disease to humans. Also, only female mosquitoes can distribute the disease, as male mosquitoes do not feed on humans. Mosquitoes pass malaria to humans through their salivary glands. Once the parasites have entered the blood stream, they go to the liver. In the liver they mature and undergo reproduction, forming merozoites. These merozoites enter the blood stream and inject themselves into red blood cells. Once inside the blood cells, they reproduce rapidly and within forty–eight to seventy–two hours, the blood cell bursts, releasing hemoglobin into the blood stream. It is the destruction of these blood cells and the hemoglobin released into the blood stream that actually causes most of the symptoms. While the most common way malaria is transmitted is from mosquitoes to humans, there are other ways of catching the disease. One way is from mother to her unborn child. When a disease is contracted this way it is said to have been transmitted congenitally. Another way is during blood transfusions. This is why it is important to be tested for Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 6. Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa Essay Malaria is blood disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. This disease occurs widely in poor, subtropical and tropical regions of the world. One subtropical region that has been greatly affected by this disease is Sub–Saharan Africa. According to Olowookere, Adeleke, Kuteyi, and Mbakwe (2013) malaria is one of the leading causes of death and illness in sub–Saharan Africa. It is important to be aware of the impacts this disease carries and how it has greatly affected millions of people. This paper will explain the impacts of Malaria and discuss, compare, and contrast the malaria research conducted by various researchers and reflect on the issue. Many factors contribute to the high mortality from malaria in sub–Saharan Africa. One...show more content... For the most part, all of the researchers findings agreed with each other, but some researchers found that certain measures would be more effective than others. Fullman, Burstein, Lim, Medlin and Gakidou (2013) examined the impacts of using bed nets, spray, or even both to prevent transmission. They found that people living in low and medium transmission areas had both insecticide treated bed nets and used indoor residual sprays. They also found that the risk of malaria was reduced by 53% with the use of both these interventions (Fullman et al., 2013) However, Olowookere et al. (2013) disagreed, suggesting that the use of insecticide treated nets and preventive education would decrease the spread of this disease. Eisele, Larsen, Walker, Cibulski, Yukich, Zikusooka, and Steketee (2012) agreed with both researchers on the use of bed nets, stating that over a 10 year scale–up of malaria prevention roughly "842,800 potential child deaths were prevented" (p. 96) and "roughly 831,100 of those 842,800 deaths were prevented through the contribution of insecticide treated bed nets" (p. 96) . Along with the rest of the researchers, Lim, Fullman, Stokes, Ravishankar, Masiye, Murray and Gakidou (2013) found that "sleeping under bed nets reduced the malaria prevalence among children by 24 %"(p. 8) and "the ownership of one bed net would reduce child mortality by 23%" (p. 8). The methods used for Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 7. Malaria Research Paper Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite. Infected mosquitoes spread it. Malaria is very common throughout the world. In the United States, the main risk is to persons traveling to tropical and subtropical countries where malaria is a problem. There are four different types of malaria caused by four related parasites. The most deadly type occurs in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. The symptoms characteristic of malaria include fever, chills, muscle aches, and headache. Cycles of chills, fever, and sweating that recur every 1, 2 or 3 days are typical. There can sometimes be vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing and yellowing (jaundice) of the skin and whites of the eyes. The treatment for malaria depends upon the geographic area where a person has been infected with the disease. Different areas of the world have malaria types that are resistant to certain medications. Malaria is a disease which can be transmitted to people of all ages. It is caused by parasites of the species Plasmodium that are spread from person to person through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Malaria is a parasitic disease that involves infection of the red blood cells. Of the four types of malaria, the most serious type is falciparum malaria, which can be life–threatening. The other three types of malaria (vivax, malariae, and ovale) are generally less serious and are not life–threatening. The scientific name of...show more content... Jaundice. 3. Stools, bloody. 4. Muscle pain. 5. Anemia. 6. Headache. 7. Nausea and vomiting. Treatment of Malaria Prevention of malaria what is practiced in epidemic areas is by spraying insecticides like DDT. Many new drugs are available for malaria, however most of the drugs are derived from Quinine derivatives. Malaria often requires treatment with medicine (antimalarial medications). Most of the time antimalarial medications effectively treat the infection; however, some malaria parasites may survive because they are in the liver or are resistant to the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 8. Malaria And Its Effects On Human History Essay Malaria is an ancient disease caused by parasites in the genus Plasmodium. Mosquitoes infected with a malaria parasite have been found preserved in approximately 30–million–year–old amber (Mehlhorn, et al.), and the malaria antigen has been detected in the tissues of Egyptian remains dating back to 3200 BC (Miller, et al.). There are many examples where malaria epidemics have had a significant impact on human history, and this is especially evident during the many wars throughout history. As far back as the fourth century A.D., Attila the Hun's invasion of Rome was stopped because of malaria (Kakkilaya). During the Revolutionary War, malaria helped the Americans win their independence because many of the British armies were too sick to fight (McNiell). During World War I, British, French, German, and American armies were unable to fight because of malaria (Kakkilaya). A French commanding general when ordered to attack was reported to have replied, "Regret that my army is in hospital with malaria" (Kakkilaya). In World War II, early during the Pacific campaign, more soldiers fell to malaria than to enemy ("Institute of Medicine"). Malaria Control in War Areas (MCWA) was founded in 1942 to control malaria near military training bases in the United States ("Our History – Our Story"). After World War II, MCWA went on to become the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Because the South was where most malaria transmission occurred and was where the MCWA had been Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 9. Infectious Disease: Malaria Essay Section 1 Malaria General Information Malaria is a common infectious disease found mainly in the tropics but in rare circumstances can be found in temperate areas. Depending on the circumstances malaria can be either life threatening cause serious illness. It is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium species(in text reference). These parasites are carried by mosquitoes which become infected after biting someone who has malaria. Malaria is then passed on to others when the infected mosquito bites another person. In rare cases malaria can be passed to another person through blood transfusions, organ donations or shared needles. On average there are around 300–500 million people who become infected with malaria every year, with most of the...show more content... Signs and Symptoms Symptoms that are usually associated with yellow fever include fever, poor appetite, nausea, chills, muscle pains in the back and headaches abdominal back pain. These symptoms usually subside after five days. These symptoms sometimes reoccur. Abdominal pain and liver damage starts causing yellow skin. There also is a higher chance of kidney problems. About 15–15% then proceed to the 'toxic' stage of which around 50% then die around 14 days after catching yellow fever. Dengue Fever General Information Dengue fever is a mosquito–transmitted virus, it is a Flavivirus which is the same genus as yellow fever. There are five different varieties of the virus and being infected usually gives lifelong immunity to that particular variety and short–term immunity to the other varieties. However this also increases the risk of having a severe reaction to the other types, this risk rises with exposure to another type and so on. Symptoms and Treatment Symptoms from the virus include headaches, back pain, joint pains, fever and a skin rash, which is similar in appearance to measles. A small percentage of infections the disease develops into a life threatening dengue haemorrhagic fever, which results in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage. The other life threatening possibility is dengue shock syndrome; this Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 10. Understanding Malaria Essay Understanding Malaria For several years, I have had an interest in virology and the spread and characteristics of various infectious diseases. Though it makes sense not to possibly induce a state of panic by informing individuals of illnesses that are not native to the area they live in and that they are not likely to contract, I have always liked to remain informed out of my own curiosity and interest. Thus, I have decided to write about malaria. Malaria kills more people than any communicable disease except for tuberculosis. It is caused by four species of parasitic protozoa that infect human red blood cells. Four different types of these protozoa are known: protozoa falciparum, protozoa vivax, protozoa ovale, and...show more content... Malaria, however, is not unique to Africa. There are a multitude of documented cases in Asia annually, particularly in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Malaria has also been known to occur in portions of Iran and the Middle East. Lower altitude regions of South and Central America also have their share of annual malaria cases, but control programs set up in those regions typically keep things under control. Generally, North America, Europe, and the Carribean have been highly successful in the control and elimination of malaria, although isolated, rare cases of local transmission have occured in Haiti, Turkey, and the Dominican Republic. Medical treatment for malaria is available and the disease is curable if promptly diagnosed and treated well. This is crucial because those who have malaria parasites available for mosquitoes to feed on are perpetuating the spread of the disease. However, if these people are treated with the appropriate drugs, the parasites disappear from their bloodstream. This helps to reduce the transmission of the disease. Unfortunately, not everyone is responsive to drug treatments for malaria and thus a variety of alternatives need to be available. Not everyone with malaria parasites in their bloodstream shows the symptoms of malaria and the disease itself is becoming resistant to some of the drugs used to treat Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 11. Characteristics Of The Malaria Malaria is starting to become one of the worlds most common infectious diseases and problem to peoples health around the world. This report will highlight the importance of learning the signs and symptoms of the Malaria disease, how to prevent becoming infected with it and how to treat it if someone does come in contact with it. It will also describe the characteristics of the four major types of Plasmodium that affects humans along with the the complete classification, pathogenesis, how it is transmitted from one host to another, and who and what country is affected most from this infectious disease. Within the Malarian disease, there are many species of the Plasmodium parasites, and only 4 of those species affects the human population. Those species include the Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae (Wiser, 2011). There is various differences between these four, but they do all have one thing in common and that is that they all form rings. The Plasmodium falciparum has numerous rings that are smaller, it has no trophozoites or schizonts, it is also a crescent–shaped gametocyte. The Plasmodium vivax has a enlarged erythrocyte, Schuffner's dots, and ameboid trophozoites. The Plasmodium ovale is similar to the Plasmodium ovale, it has compact trophozoites, fewer merozoites in schizont, and elongated erythrocytes. The Plasmodium Malariae is a compact parasite and it has merozoites in rosette (Wiser, 2011). To further identify this infectious disease, it can be broken down into its taxonomic classification. It starts with the Kingdom being Protista, Subkingdom being Protozoa, the Phylum being apicomplexa, the Class is sporozoasida, Order is eucoccidiorida, Family is plasmodiidae, Genus being plasmodium and the species being falciparum, malariae, ovale, and vivax. (Keas, 1999). The mechanism of Malaria is from a Plasmodium parasite, that originate in female Anopheles mosquitoes, that can spread into humans from the bites of the infected mosquitoes (Mohandas & An, 2012). Among the "Plasmodia species... only 4 of the over 100 species of plasmodia are infectious to humans. The majority of cases and almost all deaths are caused by Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 12. Malaria Essay Malaria is regarded as one of the world's deadliest tropical parasitic diseases. It claims more lives than any other communicable disease except tuberculosis. In Africa and other developing countries, it also accounts for millions of dollars in medical costs. Malaria, however, is a curable disease if promptly diagnosed and adequately treated. Malaria is a mosquito–borne disease caused by the parasite plasmodium. In recent years, most cases in the U.S. have been in people who have acquired the disease after travelling to tropical and sub–tropical areas. Over 200 million cases worldwide are reported each year. Estimates of deaths caused by malaria exceed 1 million each year, with the majority being African children. Other groups at risk...show more content... Areas Stricken with the Disease Malaria strikes poverty–stricken with the hardest blow. Malaria prevalent areas include some of the world's poorest nations. In Africa, medical costs and related expenses have been estimated at 1–5% gross domestic product. Farming communities are particularly affected as well. In rural areas, the rainy season is a time of intense agricultural activity, when poor families earn most of their income. When malaria strikes at this time, these families are unable to make a living. Malaria and Children Malaria claims the life of a child every 30 seconds. This disease has reached epidemic proportions in many regions of the world, and continues to grow unchecked. Malaria kills 3,000 children under five years of age every day. This rate exceeds the mortality toll from AIDS. Young African are chronic victims of malaria, suffering an average of six bouts a year. Too often, severely afflicted children die less than 72 hours after developing the symptoms. Of the children who survive, malaria also drains vital nutrients, impairing their physical and intellectual development. Malaria is also particularly dangerous pregnant women. It causes severe anemia, and is a major factor contributing to maternal deaths in malaria infected areas. Pregnant mothers who have malaria and are HIV–positive are more likely to pass on their HIV status to the unborn child. Economic Costs The estimated economic costs of malaria are enormous. Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 13. Essay on malaria It is one of the ten deadliest diseases of all time. It effects men, women, children, and animals. It is in full force in Africa, India, Asia, China, South America, and the Caribbean. This disease is malaria. Nearly 40 percent of the world's population lives in areas that are effected by the disease. Malaria is a serious, infectious disease spread by certain mosquitoes. It is caused by infection with the Plasmodium genus of the protozoan parasite. More than one hundred species of this parasite exist. It is capable of infecting reptiles, birds, rodents, and primates. Four species infect human beings, the most common being P.vivax and P. falciparum. ...show more content... The period between the two is usually 8 and 12 days for falciparum malaria, and up to a month for other types. Symptoms from some strains of P.Vivax may not be seen for up to 8–10 months. The primary symptom of all types of malaria is the "malaria ague" (chills and fever). In most cases the fever has three stages. Uncontrollable shivering for an hour or two, followed by a rapid rise in temperature as high as (106 degrees) which lasts for three hours. Then just as suddenly the patient begins to sweat profusely. Other symptoms may include fatigue, severe headache, or nausea and vomiting. As the sweat goes away the patient feels weak and falls asleep. In many cases this cycle of chills, fever, and sweating occurs every other day, or they may last for between a week and a month. Those with the chronic form of malaria may have a relapse as long as 50 years after the initial infection. Falciparum malaria is far more severe than other types of malaria because the parasite attacks all red blood cells, not just the young or old cells, as do other types. It causes the red blood cells to become very "sticky". A patient with this type can die within hours of the first symptoms. The fever is prolonged. So many red blood cells are destroyed that they block the blood vessels in vital organs (especially the kidneys) and the spleen can become enlarged. There may be brain damage, Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 14. Malaria Research Paper Defined by Merriam–Webster Dictionary, "Malaria is a kind of intermittent and remittent disease that spreads into the red blood cells of a human being once coming in contact with the disease." The parasite is a part and prime focus of the disease, then sets in the red blood cells and damages the entire human body (Webb 281). Malaria is a disease that was not as common in the old world as it is in the new world. Due to rampant progression in transport and infrastructure, the threat of malaria has increased staggeringly. This is because malaria is effective in any given population. However, it is mostly found when looked after, except in places which are more complex and sophisticated since barring such locations would cause mass panic in the...show more content... Insecticide–treated nets have been experimented in Africa and have proved to be successful in completely cutting the threat of malaria within Africa by 50% (NFL 3). The fact that even a single percept is dropping in the threat of malaria is reason enough to allow such an innovation to be implemented against the disease in Africa. However, to implement insecticide–treated nets, it is also important to ensure that such nets are distributed without corruption or biased opinions within the region (Jr. 13). Once this method is applied, no matter how costly it may prove to be, it is sure to cure the repeated and drastic problem of Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 15. Malaria Case Study Following the infected female Anopheles mosquito bite the incubation period varies. The type of Plasmodium parasite responsible for the infection plays a big factor in the time frame. Antimalarial drugs may also increase the length of the Malaria incubation period. Estimated time frame is 9–14 days for Plasmodium falciparum, 12–18 days for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale and 18–40 days for Plasmodium malarie. Delays between exposure and development of symptoms in patients can result in misdiagnoses or delayed diagnosis because of reduced clinical suspicion of the healthcare provider (CDC, 2017. It's important to remind healthcare providers of any recent travel within 12 months to any malaria endemic areas. Symptoms of...show more content... Patients with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium ovale infections may experience additional relapses after months or even years without symptoms. Relapses occur because these two parasites have dormant liver stage parasites that may reactivate (CDC, 2017). Treatment to prevent chances of relapse is available. Patients should follow the treatment of their first attack. Diagnosis It is critical to obtain a history of recent or remote travel to an endemic area for patients with suspected Malaria. Also, it is important to acquire about the patient's immune status, age, pregnancy status, medications, allergies and any medical conditions he or she may have. Diagnosis of Malaria depends on the demonstration of parasites in the blood, usually by microscopy (CDC, 2017). Workup for Malaria depends on patient's chief complaint. Patients will get labs drawn to check their hemoglobin, liver function, renal function, electrolytes, and white blood cells. Rapid HIV test may be ordered in select cases. There are alternative diagnostic methods to blood smear testing. Alternative methods are typically used if laboratory does not have sufficient experience in detecting parasites in blood smears. Rapid diagnostic tests give results within 15–20 minutes and are considered qualitative tests. These tests detect one or more of the following antigens; Histidine–rich protein 2, Plasmodium Lactate Dehydrogenase and Aldolase. Three other alternative tests are molecular techniques Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 16. Prevention And Treatment Of Malaria Essay Malaria adversely affects millions of people around the world, especially in developing countries, due to the lack of awareness, deficiency of prevention tools, and several other factors. Malaria has several effects on the people, including increased health costs, a rise in health problems in the community, adverse effects on blood and blood donors, and loss of life. Loss of Life The deterioration of health and development of several serious symptoms, including fever, headaches, fatigue, and the loss of life are the most prominent effects of malaria. Malaria causes thousands of preventable deaths each year around the world, including children and pregnant women despite the prevention and treatment methods. Malaria is prevalent in many regions despite adequate preventive measures, especially developing countries, including South Asia, South America, and Africa. Although developed countries also experience outbreaks of malaria, the death rate relevant to the disease is considerably lower than developing nations due to effective policies and strategies. Although governments and healthcare professionals can curb or alleviate the prevalence of the illness in many regions, thousands of people die due to malaria regardless of the measures. The loss of life stemming from the sickness is a serious issue mainly because the government, community, and healthcare sector can save lives through prevention, treatment, and awareness. Effects on Blood and Blood Donors Malaria can adversely Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 17. Plasmodium Falciparum Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite. It is unique of the class of Plasmodium that is the foundation and cause malaria in individuals. There are other Plasmodium species that can cause malaria in humans. Nevertheless P. falciparum is the most common, virulent, and deadly. P. falciparum communicable by the female Anopheles mosquito. P. falciparum life cycle is comprised of two hosts. A P. falciparum carrier female Anopheles mosquito injects sporozoites into the human, infecting their liver cells. Once there infection and damage to red blood cells is critical to the parasites survival. Because red blood cells transport oxygen all over the body, their destruction by P. falciparum causes basic functional devastation to the host....show more content... falciparum, whereas in most other countries with malaria transmission, other, less virulent plasmodial species predominate. Almost every malarial death is caused by P. falciparum.[ Malaria is caused by an infection with protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. The name malaria, from the Italian mala aria, meaning "bad air", comes from the linkage suggested by Giovanni Maria Lancisi (1717) of malaria with the poisonous vapours of swamps. This species name comes from the Latin falx, meaning "sickle", and parere meaning "to give birth". The organism itself was first seen by Laveran on November 6, 1880 at a military hospital in Constantine, Algeria, when he discovered a microgametocyte exflagellating. Patrick Manson (1894) hypothesised that mosquitoes could transmit malaria. This hypothesis was experimentally confirmed independently by Giovanni Battista Grassi and Ronald Ross in 1898. Grassi (1900) proposed an exerythrocytic stage in the life cycle, later confirmed by Short, Garnham, Covell and Shute (1948), who found Plasmodium vivax in the human liver. Epidemiology of the major disease/organism. Around the world, malaria is the most significant parasitic disease of humans, and claims the lives of more children worldwide than any other infectious disease. Since 1900, the area of the world exposed to malaria has been halved, yet two billion more Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 18. Malaria Is A Threat Of Malaria Malaria, just the very name rings with menace. It is a life threatening disease cause by parasites transmitted from infected bites of female mosquitoes. Now if you live in any area that is humid, hot, and prone to rain or near water and has mosquitos you are at risk for contracting this parasite. Normally Africa, South America, Middle East, rarely developed countries. About 3.2 billion people, almost half of the world's population, are at risk of malaria. Granted we live in a time where in the United States malaria is rare to hear about these days but in developing and undeveloped countries, Malaria is a very real threat. Malaria has been plaguing societies for years. Only recently has the Unites States and other countries been able to make it a rare instance due to control of mosquitos. The symptoms of malaria was first described in Chinese writings, the Nei Ching (2700 BC). It became widely known in Greece, Hippocrates noted the principle symptoms. In the Susruta, a Sanskrit medical treatise, the symptoms of malaria were described and attributed to certain bites of insects. Some Roman writers thought the diseases were attributed to swampy areas. In the New World, Indians told Spanish missionaries of the medical bark they used to treat the fevers of those infected with malaria. With the bark it actually cured the wife of the Viceroy of Peru. After this the bark from that tree was called Cinchona after the countess. The antimalarial, quinine, derives from this bark and Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 19. Malaria Essay Malaria There are a great number of diseases that are endemic in many of the poorer, developing nations due to the lack of sanitation and disease prevention programs in these areas. The steady increase of malaria epidemics in many of the African countries is a point of great concern, because this continent is home to 90% of the world's total cases of this particular disease. Malaria gets its name from "mal aria," meaning bad air, because patients used to blame the sudden illness on the poor air quality of the nearby swamps. Scientists now know that malaria is a parasitic infection caused by a single–celled protozoan, Plasmodium. Of the four types of this parasite, Plasmodium falciparum is recognized as the most...show more content... This is largely due to the misuse of the prescription antibiotic and a lack of education on how to properly take the medication. The symptoms of malaria will sometimes be alleviated in a very short time of taking the antibiotic and patients will stop refilling their prescription, assuming that they have been cured. The medication should still be taken, however, to insure that the infection has been eliminated from the body completely, not to return again with an increased severity as happens in some patients. The misuse of antibiotic drugs contributes to the growing number of resistant populations of Plasmodium, a chief concern in the care of malarial patients, because these patients do not respond to the DDT antibiotics and, therefore, must seek alternative methods of treatment. Unlike that of many other diseases that, unfortunately, plague the world's population today, the technology exists for the prevention, treatment, and cure of malaria and it is widely used. The prevalence of the disease in many of the tropical regions is due to the harsh reality that many of these people cannot afford the antibiotics or mosquito repellents that could easily save their lives. The absence of effective sanitation programs is also a leading cause of uncontrolled disease outbreaks because the bacteria or parasite has an increased available breeding ground. The only method of decreasing Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 20. There are currently five distinct protozoan vertebrate Plasmodium species identified as causal agents of malaria in humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovalae, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi, with the most common, P. falciparum, accounting for approximately seventy percent of all cases. The female Anopheles gambiae is a vector for all plasmodia of malaria, as observed by Ronald Ross in 1897 (Nobel Media, 2014) , and acquires the Plasmodium by feeding on the blood of an already infected human. Subsequently, the Plasmodium multiplies, and migrates from the midgut of the insect to the oesophagus, ready to be regurgitated into the bloodstream when the mosquito obtains a blood meal from a human (NIH, 2017) . Ultimately, once inoculated by the...show more content... Alternatively, in the P. vivax and P. ovale species, it is possible that the disease will prove asymptomatic, though not benign, for many months (Chen et al, 2016) , as the sporozoites are able to remain 'dormant' in the liver as hypnozoites. However, it is more common that symptoms will appear within one month of being bitten by a carrier mosquito (Herchline, 2017) . The life cycle of the malaria plasmodia once inside the body is both complex and systematic (see Figure 1). For example, in the case of P. falciparum, the parasite adheres to the vascular endothelium of the vital organs of its host, such as the liver, as well as subcutaneous adipose tissues, in a process of cytoadherence. In the hepatic stage, the Plasmodium enters hepatocytes as a sporozoite, and multiplies, forming a schizont, which will rupture and invade surrounding erythrocytes. The Plasmodium, in the form of a merozoite, then replicates by asexual intraerythrocytic reproduction, and changes the antigenicity of an erythrocyte, causing it to adhere to neighbouring cells. Sequestration of erythrocytes in this manner can cause blockages within the blood vessels; in the brain, this can lead to cerebral malaria– a fatal complication of malaria. Additionally, the congregation of erythrocytes facilitates the movement of the Plasmodium from one cell to the next, encouraging the rapid replication of the parasite within cells. Get more content on HelpWriting.net