What is Malaria?
Disease caused by Plasmodium protozoa which is spread via the bite of a female mosquito
What are the 4 different protozoas which cause human Malaria disease?
- Plasmodium Falciparum
- Plasmodium Vivax
- Plasmodium Ovale
- Plasmodium Malariae
What is the life cycle of Malaria?
- Sporozoites are transferred to humans through the bite of a female mosquito carrying he plasmodium
- These travel via the bloodstream to the liver, where maturation occurs to form scizonts
- Overtime, merozoites are released from the liver, which enter RBCs
- In the RBC, merozoites form large trophozoites and erythrocytic schizonts
- Erythrocytic schizontes rupture and cause clinical manifestations
What diseases provide protection against Malaria?
- Sickle cell anaemia
- G6PD deficiency
- HJL-B53
- Absece of Duffy antigens
What are the clinical features of Malaria?
Main feature - fever
- Malaise
- Fever
- Headaches
- Cough
- Myalgia
- Diarrhoea
=> If diagnosis is late, they may present with:
- Jaundice
- Confusion
- Seizures
What are the investigations in suspected cases of Malaria?
=> Microscopy of thick and thin blood smear:
- If Malaria suspected and blood smear initially -ve, repeat at 12 hours and then at 24 hours
=> Rapid diagnostic test for detection of parasite antigen
What are the features of severe Malaria?
- Impaired conciousness and seizures
- AKI
- Shock
- Hypoglycaemia
- Anaemia
- Spontaneous bleeding
- Acidosis
- Haemoglobinuria
- Parasitaemia
What is the treatment of uncomplicated (non severe) falciparum Malaria?
- Artemisirin combination therapy
Eg. Artemsirin Lumefantrine
Eg. Dihydroartemisin
What is the treatment of severe falciparum Malaria?
- Artesunate regimen
- Quinine regimen (if artesunate not available)
What is the treatment of non-falciparam Malaria?
- If mixed infection, treat as falciparum
- If severe non-falciparam Malaria, treat as falciparum Malaria
=> Chloroquine used if certain of Non-Failciparum Malaria
How is Malaria prevented?
- Vector control
- Chemoprophylaxis
