Malaria Flashcards
What is malaria
Infectious disease caused by parasitic Plasmodium, which is spread by the female Anopheles mosquito
Causes of malaria
Plasmodium falciparum P. ovale P. vivax P.malariae P.knowlesi
Most severe cause
Plasmodium falciparum
Which causes of malaria may lie dormant in the liver as hypnozoites
Plasmodium (P.) ovale
P. vivax
Signs and symptoms of malaria
Fatigue Night sweats Flu-like symptoms Diarrhoea Nausea Vomiting Anaemia Splenomegaly Seizures (cerebral malaria or secondary to fever)
Complications of malaria
Cerebral malaria Anaemia Hepatic failure Splenomegaly Shock AKI Dehydration ARDS
Investigations of malaria
Blood smear with glemsa stain Bloods - FBC, U and Es, Creatinine, LFTs, ESR, CRP Blood film Real-time PCR Antigen detection kits
Conservative treatment and prevention
Patient education
Prevention of disease e.g. mosquito nets and repellent sprays
When would you use surgical treatment
Splenectomy if indicated
What is Medical treatment of malaria dependent on
Prophylactic and therapeutic.
Dependent on Plasmodium species
Medical treatment options
Inhibit haem polymerase (Chloroquine)
Blood schizonticide (Primaquine)
Inhibit plasmodial protein synthesis (doxycycline)
Inhibit dihydrofolate reductase (pyrimethamine)
Inhibit falciparum sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (artemether with lumefantrine)
Inhibit haem metabolism (Lumefantrine)
**Malaria Lifecycle from when:
Infected mosquito bites human host (pg 107 mindmaps)
Sporozoites enter the circulatory system.
Sporozoites travel in the blood to the liver and infect hepatocytes.
Inside hepatocytes, sporozoites mature to Schizonts, which produce many Merozoites.
Merozoites replicate until their vast numbers eventually rupture the hepatocytes, enter the bloodstream and infect red blood cells.
Merozoites continue to replicate in red blood cells until the red blood cells rupture.
Some of these RBCs become gametocytes that remain in blood for afew days - during this time the gametocytes may be transferred to a mosquito that feeds on this infected human.
Within the mosquito, the gametocytes turn into sporozoites and the mosquito is now a vector of disease. (Repeat cycle)
In which organism (that causes malaria) is there an additional dormant stage in which the sporozoites in the hepatocytes can become hypnozoites
Plasmodium vivax
What type of mosquito transmits malaria
(female) Anopheles mosquito
Main diagnosis
Blood smear with glemsa stain
