S1 - Malaria

Question 1

What is malaria?

Answer 1

A protozoan parasite that exists in many different animals

Question 2

What is the basic evolution of malaria?

Answer 2

• Plasmodium* malariae –>
• Plasmodium vivax* –>
• Plasmodium falciparum*

Question 3

How has Plasmodium vivax impacted human evolution?

Answer 3

Plasmodium vivax enters human erythrocytes via the Duffy receptor (An RBC glycoprotein). Being ‘Duffy-less’ is now a dominant human mutation in most Africans, and so P. vivax is more prevalent in Europe and Asia

Question 4

How has Plasmodium falciparum affected human evolution?

Answer 4

Hemoglobin disorders confer some immunity to P. falciparum, and so now 1/14 of humans carry genetic mutations related to thalassemia, sickle-cell anemia, ovalocytosis, and other hemoglobin disorders.

Question 5

What are the 3 stages of the malaria lifecycle?

Answer 5

Inside the mosquito –> Inside the human liver –> Inside the human bloodstream –>

Question 6

What are the signs/symptoms of malaria?

Answer 6

Fever, chills, nausea, and sweating

Question 7

What is the average incubation period for malaria?

Answer 7

~10 days

Question 8

The malaria types, P. vivax and P. ovale can remain dormant for long periods of time. What does this trait make them?

Answer 8

Hypnozoites

Question 9

What are some of the main prevention methods for malaria?

Answer 9

Insecticide-treated bed nets

Indoor residual spraying

Prophylactic medication (E.g. Doxycycline and primaquine)

Possible vaccines in the pipeline

Question 10

What are the main anti-malarial drugs?

Answer 10

Quinine and artemisinin

(Resistant strains of malaria are developing to both these drugs)