Malaria Flashcards
Define Malaria?
Infection with protozoan Plasmodium
What are the five types of Plasmodium?
Plasmodium Falciparum - MOST SERIOUS Plasmodium vivax Plasmodium ovale Plasmodium Malariae Plasmodium Knowlesi
What is the aetiology of Malaria?
Transmitted by the bite of the females Anopheles Mosquito
The protozoa grow in RBCs
What is the life cycle of the malaria parasyte?
Injection of sporozoites into the blood stream by mosquito
Invasion and replication in hepatocytes
Parasites reinvade the blood and enter the RBCs
They replicate within RBCs and develop ring forms
RBCs rupture and release merozoites, which reinfect other RBCs
Gametocytes are taken up when another mosquito feeds, and develop into sporozoites in the gut of the mosquito
They then move to the salivary gland of the mosquito to be transmitted with the next bite
What populations have an innate immunity to malaria?
Sickle Cell trait
G6PD deficiency
Pyruvate Kinase deficiency
Thalassemia
What is the epidemiology of Malaria?
Endemic in the tropics
250 million people worldwide
What are the presenting symptoms of Malaria?
Feverish Traveller (incubation period can be up to 1 year)
Cyclical Symptoms
Cerebral Malaria Symptoms
What are the Cyclical Symptoms of Malaria?
High Fever Flu-like symptoms Severe sweating Shivering cold/rigors The interval between cycles of symptoms are slightly different in different types of malaria
What are the Cerebral Malaria Symptoms?
Headache
Disorientation
Coma
What are the signs of Malaria on physical examination?
Pyrexia
Anaemia (haemolytic)
Hepatosplenomegaly
What investigations do you do for Malaria?
Thick/Thin Blood Films
Bloods
Urinalysis
Why do we do a Thick Blood Film for Malaria?
Quantifying Malaria
Why do we do a Thin Blood Film for Malaria?
Identifying type of Malaria
What bloods do we do for Malaria?
FBC -haemolytic picture
U&Es
LFTs
ABG
Why do we do a Urinalysis for Malaria?
Check for blood or protein
