User talk:Ikram660

Malaria and its Causative Agent Malaria is an infection of red blood cells by a singled-celled parasite and almost always spread by the bite of an female Anopheles mosquito. Potentially malaria can also occur after transfusion with contaminated blood or an injection with a needle that had been used by a person with malaria. Malaria is prevalent in tropical parts of the world, such as Africa, Asia and Central and South America. The causative agent of malaria is a parasite. There are four specious of the parasite: Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae. In Pakistan mainly the two species of parasite i.e. Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are commonly found. Malaria: Causative Agent & its Life Cycle Life Cycle of the parasite begins when a female mosquito (Anopheles - the vector for Malaria) bites a person with malaria. Upon injection of infected blood by mosquito, the parasites reproduce in its gut and then move to the salivary glands. When the mosquito next bites another person, the parasites are injected along with saliva. Inside the human, the parasite move to liver and multiply and mature. After maturation parasites enter the blood stream and infect the red blood cells and multiply in them. This eventually causes the infected red cells to rupture (Cause of rigors, chills and fever). These parasites usually cause the red cells to rupture every 48 hours. The released parasites infect new red cells, thus repeating the cycle again. In the blood, sexual form (called gametocytes) of the parasites is formed and when ingested by the mosquito, are reproduced there, thus completing the full life cycle of the parasite. In case of P. Vivax some of the liver stages remain dormant there and periodically release mature parasites into the blood stream. This causes recurrent attacks of Malaria. In case of P. Falciparum it does not remain dormant in the liver. If untreated or inadequately treated, the mature from of P. Falciparum may persist in the blood stream for months and can lead to repeated attacks of Malaria signs and symptoms. The incubation period (the time between being bitten by the mosquito and onset of symptoms) is variable .... usually between 12-17 days for P .Vivax and 9-14 days for P. Falciparum which may extend to as long as 35 days. Health Education. ````