single cell eukaryotic plasmodium parasites

single cell eukaryotic plasmodium parasites

Caused by five species of a single cell eukaryotic plasmodium parasites and, in most cases, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, which are transmitted through a bite by female anopheles mosquito, malaria continues to be one of the leading causes of child mortality in Africa and Asia. The tropical and subtropical climate of the countries within these continents provides a conducive thriving environment for the parasites. P. falciparum species is responsible for most of the malaria deaths on a global scale, and it’s the most prevalent malaria parasite in Africa. The lethal nature of this parasite can be seen through its high multiplication rate, which in turn causes severe blood loss and clogged blood vessels.

On the other hand, P. vivax is mostly found in Asia and Latin America. This species lie dormant in the body of an individual after the mosquito bite rising to infect their blood months or years later. The parasites multiply in the liver, and the bloodstream and mosquito bites facilitate the transmission to other people in most cases. However, blood transfusion is an occasional mode of transmission of malaria in addition to mother to fetus transmission. The incubation period ranges from 7-30 days, depending on the infecting species.

The symptoms of the disease are classified into two categories; uncomplicated and severe Malaria. For the former, the symptoms exhibited do not indicate severe infection or dysfunction of vital organs. However, if untreated or the host’s immunity is weak, these symptoms may become severe. These symptoms last 6 to 10 hours and recur every second day. Nonetheless, it’s vital to note that some strains can result in longer cycles or cause mixed symptoms. The symptoms in this phase resemble those of flu thus can be misdiagnosed, especially in areas with low malaria prevalence. The symptoms progress through cold, hot, and sweating stages, and seizure can occur in young people.

On the other hand, severe malaria inferences vital organ dysfunction with symptoms including multiple convulsions, breathing, and respiratory distress, signs of anemia and abnormal bleeding, impaired consciousness, prostration and fever, and chills. If untreated, this type is fatal and can lead to brain damage, organ failure, pulmonary edema, and anemia. The diagnosis of the disease is made based on the resources available; as a result, the application of clinical diagnosis continues or rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Also, the laboratory diagnosis is applicable whereby the blood samples are tested for the parasite, the infecting species, the stages of erythrocytic schizogony, among other variables.

According to the WHO 2018, there were 228 million estimated cases of malaria, a decline from the 231 million cases in 2017. Among these cases, 93% (213 million) were based in Africa and 3.4% cases emanating from South East Asia, while 2.1% were from the Eastern Mediterranean region. Furthermore, six African countries, including Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Niger, DRC, and Mozambique accounting for more than half of global malaria cases. The estimated number of deaths in that year by malaria was 405,000, with children under the age of 5 years being the most prevalent in the menace. This could be seen through the 67% (272,000) of the total malaria deaths being of these children at the global scale. On the same note, the African continent accounted for 94% of deaths by malaria the same year.

Incidence measures the rate of new reporting of the disease within a given period in a specified population. In other words, it provides insights into the number of cases of the disease that a particular population has suffered in a given period. This is to mean that it’s profoundly affected by the rate of reporting of this disease as well as the diagnosis of the same. It, therefore, can be used to generate a probability scale of an individual chance of infection while also identifying the patterns of the condition within the given time frame in the specified population. On the other hand, prevalence is the actual number of cases of a particular condition or disease at a given period. Therefore, it focuses on outlining how widespread disease is within a given population at a point in time. In the high malaria-prone areas, young children who have not yet developed partial immunity to malaria, pregnant women whose immunity is declining due to pregnancy, elderly, and travelers or migrants who have no immunity are most vulnerable. In recent years, the incidence rate of malaria at a global scale has been declining, as illustrated by the WHO statistics.

The highly lethal nature of malaria necessitates the establishment of control and prevention strategies. However, the overly adaptable nature of the vector and the parasites makes it challenging to control. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that it’s uncontrollable as the US has managed to control and eliminate the disease substantially. In any case, a combination of new approaches and tools can significantly help in the control process of the disease. The goal of most of the National Malaria control programs and activities are mainly based on the reduction of malaria cases and deaths. The control of malaria in the African continent, where the high burden of the disease lie, has been challenging due to several factors. For a start, the high prevalence of P. falciparum, a favorable climate for the parasites, inadequate infrastructure, and minimal resources to intervene.

In any case, the control process of malaria is based on the host, vector, and agent. For the host, the most effective approach for the control is through treating the infected while protecting the unaffected. In this case, the development of new diagnostics of the disease is essential for the control of the same. Also, there has been the development of anti-malarial drugs that have been effective in the control process of the disease. However, the development of resistance by the parasites has led to re-emergence of the disease, necessitating further research and development of new drugs, and the research on this is still underway.

Also, the administration of chemoprophylaxis for travelers is an effective way for the control of the disease. In the context of the parasites, ensuring a full treatment that will help in the killing of the asexual forms of the parasite is essential as it will then help in hindering the progression of the disease. Further, developmental plans for a malaria vaccine are underway, and this helps in the control process. Controlling of the vector is another mechanism applicable in the control of the disease. In this case, the larval control through source reduction, chemical larviciding, and biological control is being applied. On the same note, area spraying, personal protective measures, and sterile male releases are used in the control mechanism of the disease.

The increasing global support in the malaria reduction and control have been effective, with the incidence cases of the disease reducing significantly by the year. However, irrespective of most previously Malaria endemic areas being on the road to elimination upholding sustainable elimination continue to be a challenge. Elimination of malaria, in this case, involves interruptions of local transmission of a specific malaria parasite species in a given region. Malaria eradication, on the other hand, focuses on permanent reduction to zero at a worldwide scale eliminating all malaria parasite species. While the former is attainable, the latter is a tall order.

The elimination process of malaria is mostly dependent on the strength of the health systems of a country, environmental and biological factors, and the socio-economic status of the country. Some of the elimination efforts applied include providing access to WHO recommendable package of effective tools that prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria — Additionally, the enhancement of malaria prevention of treatment measures and strengthening of the malaria surveillance system. Furthermore, focusing on the elimination and eradication of the disease in a global context, the formation of different research bodies has been enacted purposing to concentrate on the development of an effective plan for the elimination process. Moreover, approximately $1.91 billion have been set aside at a global scale aiming at the eradication of the disease. Public sensitization of the disease has also been improved, while more diagnostic and treatment resources continue to be invented. The several control elimination and eradication measures have been competent to a large extent. This can be seen through the reduction in the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of the disease not only on a global scale but also in the Malaria endemic areas. However, different challenges continue to arise concerning these processes, including the development of resistance by the vectors towards the insecticides, while the parasites also continue o develop antibiotic resistance. Socio-cultural hindrances also limit the effectiveness of these measures, mostly based on a lack of cultural knowledge on people’s beliefs, values, attitudes concerning the disease.