Malaria
Plasmodium falciparum is a malaria causing parasite. Infection with Plasmodium begins with a mosquito bite and the inoculation of the short-lived sporozoite stage parasites which invades liver cells. After an asymptomatic liver stage, the released merozoite form of the Plasmodium parasites invade red blood cells. P. falciparum, confined to the bloodstream, rapidly increases its numbers about tenfold every two days. They rapidly multiply through asexual, haploid replicatio. Initially they are in a morphological ring stage, then trophozoite when hemozoin appears and schizonts when nuclear replication starts. Rupture of schizont stage releases both contents of the infected red blood cells and merozoites that continue the infectious cycle. The resulting high parasitemia, up to billions per ml, causes severe anemia which can be lethal if untreated. Another lethal P. falciparum manifestation is sequestration of Pf-IRBC in the brain causing brain dysfunction resulting in cerebral malaria.
Cerebral malaria
The mortality and clinical burden caused by the malaria causing P. falciparum parasite, is immense with approximately 1 million deaths and 200 million episodes of clinical disease in Africa alone. When the malaria parasite cloggs up blood vessels in the brain, they can get cerebral malaria. Especially children and travelers that have not been previously exposed to malaria are very susceptible. Cerebral malaria is associated with a high 30% mortality. Neurologic symptoms and signs include impaired consciousness, coma, delerium and seizures. When children recover from cerebral malaria, often they will remain with neurologic sequella, including seizures. Recent research suggests that also ADHD is associated with cerebral malaria.
Cerebral malaria
The mortality and clinical burden caused by the malaria causing P. falciparum parasite, is immense with approximately 1 million deaths and 200 million episodes of clinical disease in Africa alone. When the malaria parasite cloggs up blood vessels in the brain, they can get cerebral malaria. Especially children and travelers that have not been previously exposed to malaria are very susceptible. Cerebral malaria is associated with a high 30% mortality. Neurologic symptoms and signs include impaired consciousness, coma, delerium and seizures. When children recover from cerebral malaria, often they will remain with neurologic sequella, including seizures. Recent research suggests that also ADHD is associated with cerebral malaria.
Malaria hides out in red blood cells.
Malaria parasites hide out from the immune system inside red blood cells. When they mature, the red blood cell burst open and the parasites emerge from the red blood cells.
Malaria arounds the world
Area where malaria is very prevalent. Darker colors are high prevalence.
Due to de-forestation and mining, area where the Anopheles mosquito can grow, expands, thus increasing malaria prevalence. Global warming also increases the areas with conditions favorable for the malaria-carrying mosquitos.
Due to de-forestation and mining, area where the Anopheles mosquito can grow, expands, thus increasing malaria prevalence. Global warming also increases the areas with conditions favorable for the malaria-carrying mosquitos.