Parasitology: Plasmodium

Question 1

Answer 1

Malaria: plasmodium falciparum

• Epidemiology: at risk include pregnant women (more attractive to mosquitoes), vertical transmission
• Host
• Vector: anopheles mosquito; sporozoites innoculated by mosquito -> mosquito bite -> Mature liver schizont release merozoites -> tropnozoite (in RBC; clinical stage)
• Features:
  
  • numerous fine ring forms
  • banana shaped
  • double chromatin dots
  • marginal forms
  • RBC not enlarged
• Sx: anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, elevated fever, renal failure, jaundice & fever, pulm edema, vomitting, diarrhea, delirium, stupor, disorientation, cerebral malaria (coma, convulsions, abnormal posturing, dysconjuage gaze, retinal hemorrhages)
• Dx
• Rx: artemether/lumefantrine (most effective), chloroquine, sulfadoxine/pyramethamine, meflaquine, Quinine/IV Quanadine (reserve)
  
  • Prophylactics: Mefloquine, doxycycline, chloroquine, atovaquone & proguanil (Malarone)
• Control: ITN (anopheles are nocturnal), vector controls (egg, larva, and pupa in water so fill in swamps or add fish)

Question 2

Answer 2

P. malariaie

• Epidemiology
• Host
• Vector: anopheles mosquito
• Features
• Sx: fever at every 72h
• Dx
• Rx: chloroquine
• Control

Question 3

Answer 3

P. ovale

• Epidemiology
• Host
• Vector: anopheles mosquito
• Features: hypnozites in liver (sleeping/resting zoites causing relapse of disease, need to treat this); enlarged RBC
• Sx: fever every 48 h
• Dx
• Rx: chloroquine + primaquine (hypnozoites)
• Control

Question 4

Answer 4

P. vivax

• Epidemiology
• Host
• Vector: anopheles mosquito
• Features: hypnozites in liver (sleeping/resting zoites causing relapse of disease, need to treat this)
  
  • developing and thick (signet) ring forms
  • enlarged RBC
• Sx: fever every 48 h
• Dx: chloroquine + primaquine (hypnozoites)
• Rx
• Control