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  • Writer's pictureLet's Biologue!
    • Apr 25
    • 2 min read

Malaria

Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. This parasite is transmitted through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is life-threatening and kills thousands every year, however, it’s curable and preventable.





Table 1: A) Malaria Sporozoites B) Anopheles mosquitoes


To better understand this disease, we should start with the life cycle of the parasite.

An illustration to show the life cycle of the malaria parasite. Image credit: Laura Olivares Boldú / Wellcome Connecting Science


A mosquito carrying the malaria parasite bites a human, injecting the parasite present in its saliva into the human bloodstream. The sporozoites travel to the liver infecting the liver cells quickly and firmly. After infecting the hepatic cells, the parasite acquires a new form called merozoite multiplying into thousands till the cells burst. After burst, they infect red blood cells and keep multiplying.

When the red blood cells burst, they infect new ones, and this process goes on.

If a mosquito bites an infected person, the mosquito becomes infected becoming a disease vector.


Symptoms

The physical effects of malaria occur essentially because of parasite invasion of red blood cells, producing toxins, and causing anaemia, in other words, it decreases red blood cell function.

  • High temperature, sweats and chills

  • Headaches and feeling confused

  • Feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children)

  • Feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhoea

  • Loss of appetite

  • Muscle pains

  • Yellow skin or whites of the eyes

  • A sore throat, cough, and difficulty breathing


Treatment

Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. The types of drugs and the length of treatment will vary, depending on:

  • Type of malaria parasite

  • Severity of symptoms

  • Age

  • Pregnancy


Prevention

Vector control is the main way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission. WHO recommends insecticide-treated mosquito nets (reduce contact between mosquitoes and humans) and indoor residual spraying.

Anti-malaria drugs can also be used to prevent malaria. For travelers, malaria can be prevented through chemoprophylaxis, which suppresses the blood stage of malaria infections, thereby preventing malaria disease.


Vaccine

Parasites can adapt and change through the various stages of their lives even in the human host, presenting different antigens in the distinct stages of life. This fact complicates the development of vaccines.

Despite that currently WHO recommends the use of 2 vaccines RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M to prevent malaria in infants.

Both vaccines use adjuvants and if you want to know more about vaccines check or post about vaccination.







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