What is malaria disease
Answers
Malaria is caused by a parasite known as Plasmodium, which is normally spread through infected mosquitoes. A mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected human, taking in Plasmodia which are in the blood.
Answer:
Malaria is a serious and dangerous type of disease caused by Plasmodium-type parasitic infection.
Generally, such parasites are transmitted through mosquito bites, especially by the Anopheles mosquito. One of the most common types of Plasmodium parasites causing the disease is P. Falciparum.
Here are 5 types of Plasmodium parasites that trigger this disease:
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium knowlesi
If the Anopheles mosquito is infected by Plasmodium and bites you, it can be transmitted and released into your bloodstream. Parasites will develop in the liver, and in a few days will begin to attack your red blood cells.
When you begin to become infected, the signs and symptoms of the disease will begin to appear after 10 days to 4 weeks. However, sometimes symptoms can also appear 7 days after you are infected. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and vomiting.
If not treated immediately, complications that may arise with the disease are anemia and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). In more serious cases, sufferers may experience cerebral malaria, in which blood vessels leading to the brain are blocked and at risk of death.
Malaria disease symptoms
The symptoms of malaria arise, at least 10-15 days after being bitten by mosquitoes. The appearance of symptoms through three stages for 6-12 hours, namely chills, and fever, then sweating a lot and limp before the body temperature returns to normal. Stages of malaria symptoms can arise following a certain cycle, namely once every 3 days (tertiana) or once every 4 days (quartana).
Some other symptoms that can be found also, namely:
Fever: is periodic because it is related to the rupture of the schizont that secretes various antigens. The process of maturation of schizont differs by type of Plasmodium.
P. Falciparum (fever almost daily)
P. Vivax / Ovale (fever every 3 days / tertiana)
P. Malariae (fever every 4 days / quartana)
Splenomegaly: is a symptom of chronic malaria.
Anemia: occurs due to rupture of infected erythrocytes or not.
Ikterus: due to hemolysis and hepatic disorders.
Other systemic symptoms: headache, vomiting, nausea, muscle aches.