Malaria

1. Malaria Deadly Mosquito-Borne Diseaseby: Kevin Lam

2. Malaria – What is it? • Tropical disease found in equatorial regions: Africa , south and central America and Asia • Disease caused by certain parasites • Bite from a female anopheles mosquito • Serious human disease world-wide. 400-900 million cases each year • 700 000 – 2.7 million deaths annually • Child death in Africa every 30 seconds.

3. Malaria - History • Dates back to 2700 BC found in Chinese medical writings • 1880: Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran discovers first malaria parasite • 1886:Camillo Golgi discovered new species each causing different time periods of symptoms • Also discovered the fever symptom comes from new merozoites entering blood stream • 1897: Ronald Ross discovered malaria transmitted through mosquitoes • Showed that mosquitoes obtain parasites from infected patients then can infect new victims

4. Malaria - Causes • Bite from a specific mosquito : female anopheles mosquito • Parasite from salivary glands of mosquito enter and infect liver and later bloodstream • Not many females anopheles are anthropophilic but some in Africa are which is why Africa have more cases of Malaria. • Four species: Plasmodium vivax – most common parasite Plasmodium falciparum – found in tropical regions, most severe and fatalPlasmodium malariae – less common, limited to subtropical areasPlasmodium ovale – least common, found in Africa

5. Malaria - Symptoms • Initial symptoms after bite can take from 7-14 days to appear • Chills followed by fever and profuse sweating • All reoccur different times, depends on life cycle of parasites • Parasite can stay dormant for awhile • Lack of energy, fatigue

6. Malaria - Diagnosis • Blood tests can detect malaria because anemia is a major symptom • Blood smears to be looked at to see if any parasites are in your red blood cells • Enlarged livers and spleens are also sign if someone has Malaria

7. Malaria – Treatment • Treatment recommended to occur within 24 hours of initial symptoms. • Uncomplicated malaria can be treated at home • Complicated malaria recommended to be hospitalized • Complications occur because some parasites are drug resistant • Sometimes blood transfusions given

8. Malaria – Drugs and resistance • Drugs that are used include: Chloroquine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, mefloquine, halofantrine, and quinine. • Two of four parasites building resistance:P.vivax and P.falciparum • P.falciparum has almost built complete immunity to chloroquine around the world. Also resistant too all other antimalarial drugs but not everywhere around the world • P.vivax starting to have resistance to chloroquine and well as some others.

9. Malaria – Parasite cycle • Sporozoites transmit from blood feeding of female anopheles and enter the liver and reside in hepatocyte • Merozoites enter the blood stream and infect red blood cells • Asexual reproduction occurs within the red blood cells later causing them to rupture • Gametocytes or male and female versions of the parasite • Ingested by mosquito, fuse within guts to form zygote • New sporozoites produced inside mosquito

10. Malaria – Sickle Cell Trait Connection • Sickle Cell Anemia is when blood is sickle, crescent shaped, decreasing life expectancy • For children: • Sickle Cell Anemia = death • Malaria = Death • Sickle Cell trait = protection from malaria and no death from sickle cell anemia • Parasites die when entering red blood cells of someone with sickle cell trait

11. Malaria- Prevention • Contact a doctor when travelling to areas with malaria • Protect yourself from mosquito bites • Bring mosquito repellent • Protect your bed with a mosquito net when sleeping

12. Future Outlook • Multi-drug resistant parasites forming • Ideas of combining drugs to create hybrid drugs