Malaria

What is Malaria?
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito.

When a mosquito that is infected by the plasmodium parasite bites a person, it injects some of its salivary fluid containing infectious germs into the wound thus transmitting Malaria. The germs travel to the liver where they stay until they mature. They are then released into the blood and if such a person is bitten by a mosquito, it carries the parasite and can infect the next person it bites.

There are 4 types of Malaria; P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. falciparum. They are named by the type of plasmodium that causes them.

The first 3 are not dangerous but Falciparum is very dangerous and can be life threatening. This is because once it enters the body it multiplies in large numbers in the blood. Infected red blood cells (which transport oxygen in the body) become heavy and cannot move inside the capillaries. This causes little areas of tissue to die in the brain, liver, lungs, kidneys and intestines because of lack of oxygen. This can lead to death if not treated immediately.

Here is a graphic illustration of how malaria is transmitted.