Pathogen-plasmodium
Plasmodium is a pathogen that belongs in the group protozoa in the Kingdom Protista. Protozoa organisms are all unicellular. It is a parasitic genus of protozoan that cause the disease of malaria.
How does it cause disease !?
Malaria is a life- threatening disease to both humans and animals. It is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito which carries the plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites you, plasmodium is released into your bloodstream. Then they are able to reach your liver cell and live in there which causes them to be at a great advantage and puts the victim at a disadvantage.
effects and symtoMs of Plasmodium/malaria
As soon as the parasites enter the body they make their way to the liver, where they grow and spread. After several days they enter the bloodstream again and begins to infect red blood cells. The parasites multiple eventually causing the red blood cells to burst and they keep on going. This can lead you to liver infection and blood infection and etc.
Common symptoms of Malaria include: *shaking chills that are moderate to severe *high fever *profuse sweating *headache *nausea *vomiting *diarrhoea *anemia *muscle pain *convulsions *coma *bloody stools |
transmissioN between peopLe!
Malaria can be transmitted from one person to the other. One way of doing so is when a victim carrying the disease donates blood and the blood is not thoroughly screened, it can then be transmitted to the person receiving the blood. In other cases such as if a pregnant women is carrying the sickness, the disease can then be transmitted to her newborn child. It can also be transmitted through organ transplants or reused needles and syringes.
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Prognosis and treatment options
The prognosis for malaria is excellent if treated early. On the other hand infections caused by malaria are severely contagious if not treated early the prognosis for untreated malaria has a very high mortality.
P. falciparum tends to be the species causing the most complications and troubles and has a high mortality if untreated. Treatment of Malaria depends on the species of the infecting Parasite wether the parasite has any drug resistance. It is suggested that treatments should begin within 24 hours after symptoms appear, especially for cases like P. falciparum as it grows to be very serious. The most effective new drugs are the artemisinin. They are at the moment the most effective against multi-resistant malaria.
P. falciparum tends to be the species causing the most complications and troubles and has a high mortality if untreated. Treatment of Malaria depends on the species of the infecting Parasite wether the parasite has any drug resistance. It is suggested that treatments should begin within 24 hours after symptoms appear, especially for cases like P. falciparum as it grows to be very serious. The most effective new drugs are the artemisinin. They are at the moment the most effective against multi-resistant malaria.