Plasmodium

Question 1

Characteristics

Answer 1

Malaria
Mainly Apicomplexa: chemical and mechanical penetration, two apical rings, polar wing, rhoptries, micronemes
Definitive host: female anopheles mosquito
Areas that lack administrative, financial, human resources
Banana shaped gametocytes, rings in rbcs, sickle cell protects

Question 2

Infection/symptoms

Answer 2

Paroxysms: shizogony takes 48-72hr, generates 4-36 shizonts per rbc
Initial release not synchronous cont fever
After several days, schizont release is synchronous, undulating/cyclic fever

Question 3

P. Vivax

Answer 3

80% (40% in Vietnam)
2-4 year infection
Liver hypnozoites
48hr fever

Question 4

P falciparum

Answer 4

2 most common
Deaths mainly in children
50% tropical cases
Most virulent form, 25% mortality
10 month duration
48hr fever cycle

Question 5

P ovale

Answer 5

Least common
Months to years
Liver hypnozoites
48hr fever cycle

Question 6

P malariae

Answer 6

3 most common
Infects humans and chimpanzees
Longest lasting form
72hr fever cycle

Question 7

Quotidian fever

Answer 7

Dual infection of vivax and falciparum

24hr fever cycle

Question 8

Treatment

Answer 8

Chloroquine: most widely used, least expensive, now resistant
Doxycycline: effective, cheap, 7 day course 1 per day
Primaquine: only known to cure relapsing or acute cases, G6PD deficiency
Mefloquine: prevention of resistant strains of P falciparum, now resistant, in combo with Artesunate