What
causes malaria?--
Malaria is caused by plasmodium species infection.
What
are the stages of malaria?--
These parasites first infect the liver cells. They then infect the red
blood cells. Symptomatic malaria results due to the infection of the
red blood cells. The red blood cells rupture due to the infection.
This rupture with consequent release of the parasite s results in
fever spike with chills.
What
are the different types of malaria parasites?--
Most common types are the vivax & the falciparum malaria.
How
does the falciparum malaria differ from vivax malaria?--
Simply speaking falciparum malaria is a lethal disease while vivax is
not.
Falciparum parasites have the ability to make the infected red blood
cells to stick to the inner walls of the capillaries which is not so
with vivax species.
Also falciparum species can infect red blood cells of any age unlike
vivax species which is restricted to blood cells of certain age only.
Thus the total parasite load is more in falciparum infections.
Falciparum infections can lead to cerebral malaria while vivax
infections do not.
What
is a relapse of malaria?--
Relapse is seen in cases of vivax malaria & not in case of
falciparum malaria.
A form of vivax parasites called as hypnozoites remain dormant in the
liver cells. These hypnozoites can later cause a relapse.
How
is malaria diagnosed?--
Malaria is diagnosed by taking peripheral smears of blood. These
smears show the malarial parasites in the red blood cells.
Can
malaria be ruled out if the smear comes negative?--
No. The malarial parasites need not be present in the blood at all
times. The best time to take the smears is about 30 minutes before the
expected febrile spike.
What
is cerebral malaria?--
Cerebral malaria is caused by the falciparum species infection.
The early symptoms of cerebral malaria are impaired consciousness ,
confusion, drowsiness. Hence if such symptoms are seen in case of any
malaria case contact your physician immediately. If left untreated
cerebral malaria is fatal.
What
is chloroquine resistance?--
Many of the falciparum infections & at times even vivax infections
do not respond to chloroquine. This is due to development of
resistance to chloroquine in these parasites.
What
is the solution to chloroquine resistance?--
Many drugs are now available for cases of chloroquine resistance. They
are Mefloquine, Quinine, Artesuanate group of drugs.
Many more drugs are available for the treatment of resistant malaria.
Can
a relapse of malaria be prevented?--
Yes. Primaquine is a drug which can destroy the latent forms of vivax
parasites.
However before giving primaquine ruling out G6PD is necessary.
What
is G6PD?--
G6PD is an enzyme which prevents the destruction of red blood cells.
In case of deficiency of this enzyme primaquine can cause destruction
of the red blood cells. Hence ruling out a deficiency of G6PD is
necessary.
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