Kinds of Human Malaria
Kinds of Malaria ( Human )
Human malaria is still common in tropical & subtropical countries. Human malaria species remain common in Chimpanzi.In world five types of human malaria parasite ( species ) occurs now a day . eg.
- Plasmodium Vivax
- Plasmodium Falciparum
- Plasmodium Malariae
- Plasmodium Ovale
- Plasmodium Knowlesi
Plasmodium Vivax
P. Vivax species is most prevalent in world . It causes relapses & other complication . Relapses can occur in months or years due to dormant liver stagess known as ” Hypnozoites ” .Primaquine only one drug used to clear hypnozoites and relapses parasites. Duffy antigen receptor for Chemokines ( DARC ) on red bloos cells that uses for invasion in P. vivax and duffy negative individual are resistant to P. vivax .
Plasmodium falciparum
P. falciparum is most malignant , often causing severe illness , infection affecting the Brain potential leading to comma or death . It a most prevalent in Africa .
Plasmodium Malarie
It is less severe form of malaria and found in milder form . It is found in parts of Africa . It can be persist in the blood for years without symptons .
Plasmodium Ovale
Generally found in West Africa .very rarely found species . It is similar to P vivax . It is also occure relapses ,but it is less common .It has Two genitecally subspecies 1 ) P. Ovale curtisi , 2 ) P.Ovale wallikeri
Plasmodium Knowlesi
Primarily found in macaque monkeys . Now a days emerging species cause of human malaria , found in South-East Asia .
Clinical features
Typical malarial clinical symptoms comprises three successive stages . eg
HOT STAGE
high grade fever , temperature may be rise to 39 degree centigrade , patient feels thirsty , pulse rate increases . this condition / state lasts for two hours to six hours
COLD STAGE
Rigor with chills . The patient feels like being covered with blanket and the hair on the skin stands up .this stage lasts from 15 minutes to one hour
SWEATING STAGE
The patient s fever subsides . patient sweats profusely . He falls into deep sleep . patient feels weak after waking up .this stage lasts from 2 hours to 4 hours .
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Myalgia ,nausea & vommiting , headache ,diarrhea ,abdominal pain , muscle or joint pain ,Anemia , enlargment of spleen (palpable spleen ), hepatomegaly , pallar , dry cough ,jaundice ,tachycardia . But now a days symptoms of malaria is mostly non specific making viral illnesses , typhoid ,paratyphoid ,and encephalitis especially in falciparum infection . slight enlagment of liver is also common , especialy in the young ones .
