malaria

Question 1

malaria

Answer 1

• protist

- plasmodium

Question 2

M mode of transmission

Answer 2

• indirect
• vector = female anopheles mosquito
• humans are infected when bitten by an infective female mosquito
• only anopheles mosquitos can transmit
• also transmitted by blood transfusion, organ transplant, and shared needles contaminating blood

Question 3

M geographical distribution

Answer 3

• tropics
• sub - saharan africa
• asia
• south america
• warm wet areas

Question 4

M impact on host / symptoms

Answer 4

• parasitizes the human liver and red blood cells
• attack begins with chills, fever and sweats
• after 10 days: vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, stomach aches, weakness
• if left untreated seizures, mental confusion, kidney failure, coma, brain damage, death
• symptoms are due to bursting red blood cells and clogged capillaries to major organs

Question 5

M economic importance

Answer 5

• sick adults are unable to work leading to low productivity not being able to produce enough food for their families
• they then remain poor with little food to eat leaving them more vulnerable to disease
• tourists are less likely to visit so less revenue for their country
• very expensive
• hospital care

Question 6

M diagnosis

Answer 6

• blood smear, microscopy exam

- rapid immune tests detect antigens

Question 7

M treatment

Answer 7

• antimalarial drugs kill the plasmodium and stop them from spreading

Question 8

M prevention

Answer 8

• wear loose clothing
• sleep in bed nets - cheap and effective
• insecticides - expensive and pollute environment
• mustard seeds in pond to drag larvae down and drown them
• if prescribed antimalarial drugs takes strictly as directed
• be aware of malaria risk zones

Question 9

M life cycle

Answer 9

1. sporozoites
   - infected mosquito bites a person, injecting parasites, sporozoites into the blood
   - sporozoites move into the blood and travel to the liver
   - they multiply through asexual reproduction in the liver cells to form merozites
2. merozites
   - burst from liver into the blood
   - they invade red blood cells and multiply until the red blood cells burst releasing merozites to invade other red blood cells and release toxins causing symptoms of malaria
3. merozites turn into gametocytes
   - mosquitos suck as infected human and swallow gametocytes that fuse and mature into gametes
   - gametes fuse to form zygote which matures into an ookinete which divides asexually to form sporozoites
   - sporozoites leave the mosquitos intestine and move into the salivary glands