Malaria

Question 1

Cause

Answer 1

Plasmodium parasites transmitted by Anopheles mosquito vectors

Question 2

Treatment

Answer 2

• chemoprophylaxis (suppressive treatment: kill sporozoites before they infect hepatocytes (chief functional cells of liver)
• therapeutic treatments (aimed at killing Plasmodium during an active infection of a human)
• gametocidal treatments (prevent spread of disease)
• radical treatment (destroys hypnozoites or dormant Plasmodium parasites in the liver).

Question 3

Plasmodium

Answer 3

Single-cell parasites that are spread around by mosquitoes

Question 4

Effects

Answer 4

Once Plasmodium reaches the bloodstream, it infects and destroys mainly liver and blood cells.

Question 5

Why do people with sickle-cell anemia are less likely to be infected with malaria?

Answer 5

Because their red blood cells lack the Duffy antigen receptor, as possessed by RBCs in healthy individuals. Thus, Plasmodium is unable to bind to their RBCs and infect them.

Question 6

Life cycle

Answer 6

Female mosquitoes infected w/ Plasmodium (as sporozoites) inject their proboscis into humans and transfer the parasites into the human bloodstream. Within minutes, Plasmodium reaches the liver and engages in asexual reproduction. Then, Plasmodium infects blood cells and continues multiplying, in the process causing hemolytic anemia (destruction of RBCs). Another unaffected female mosquitoes inject her proboscis into the infected human and picked up Plasmodium, becoming infected => the cycle comes full circle.

Question 7

Effects of climate change on Malaria

Answer 7

Climate change has resulted in the temperatures of certain regions becoming increasingly higher => more humidity and tropical => favourable living conditions of mosquitoes => increase in mosquitoes => increase in probability of being infected with Malaria.