Overview, Complications and Treatment Of Malaria Infection.
Introduction
As we all know, malaria is an epidemic disease which is responsible for most death of individuals in Africa and Nigeria.
Plasmodium is a parasite of class Sporozoans or Apicomplexas because of their complex lifecycle.
For the full development of the parasite, two hosts are involved namely;
1) Intermediate Host been man in which the Asexual stage of its cycle occur
2) Definitive Host been the mosquito where the sexual stage occurs.
Types Of Plasmodium Species.
There are five species of these plasmodium which are responsible for bring about malaria. These species is as viz;
1) Plasmodium Falciparum
2) Plasmodium Vivax
3) Plasmodium Ovale
4) Plasmodium Malariae
5) Plasmodium Knowlesi...
Emphasis will be laid much on P. Falciparum and P. Vivax as the are the species of Plasmodium that cause the most deadly infection
Pathogenesis Of Malaria Infection.
Malaria infections occurs as a result of parasitemia when female mosquito called Anopheles infected with the plasmodium parasite transmit its saliva into the blood stream.
Life Cycle Of Malaria Parasite.
The Lifecycle of most Sporozoan as mentioned above is very complex. It may involve one or more hosts.
Basically, the Lifecycle of malarial infection can be divided into;
1) Sexual Lifecycle is the stage of gamete formation (gametogony)
2) Asexual Lifecycle; the developmental formation of schizonts (schizogony).
The asexual lifecycle consist of three subgroup which include;
1) Pre-erythrocytic stage
2) Erythrocytic stage
3) Exo-erythrocytic stage.
The Pre-erythrocytic stage is the stage that when the mosquito comes for blood meal and transmit the parasite into the blood.
On entrance into the body, the parasite moves within milliseconds to milli hours to the LIVER CELLS(hepatocytes).
In the hepatocytes, the proliferate into trophozoites and mature to schizonts. This schizonts quickly burst and release about 30,000 merozoites which wanders into the red cells to continue the Erythrocytic stage of asexual cycle.
The Erythrocytic stage sets in.
The ruptured merozoites parasitize the RBCs. Falciparum been the most deadly parasitize both new, old and matured red cells while other species are red cell specific.
ThESE merozoites in RED CELLs undergo another series of development from schizonts to merozoites until they invade all the red cells of the system...
When eventually all red cells have been invaded, profuse sweating is experienced along with CHILLS due to rapid bursting to the schizonts to merozoites. Some of the schizonts hibernates to form Hypnozoites which could later transform to take down host.
The Exo-erythrocytic stage is the stage when the Hypnozoites develop back start the ERYTHROCYTIC STAGE
Laboratory Diagnosis Of MP.
The lab diagnosis of malaria is based on using blood as sample to prepare smears to identify the presence of Chromatin Dot called Schnuffer's Dot for most Falciparum strains.
Two smears used in diagnosis are as follows;
1) Thin Smear to detect the exact parasite species
2) Thick smear for number of parasitemia (severity of invasion)
Staining Techniques For MP TEST
The most prepare staining technique for detection of MP is FIELD STAINING METHOD.
Other staining technique include;
* Giemsa Method
* Romanowsky Staining Techniques (eg leishman stain)
Giemsa is used in most used tropic regions and even Nigeria.
Finally, as a medical laboratory personnel, its would interest you to knw that you could be the doctor of yourself in treating MALARIA.
Chemotherapeutic Drugs For MP
Monotherapy is not adviceable as most starins of parasites have developed resistance to these drugs.
Secondly, most Falciparum malaria are resistant to virtually all malarial drugs.
Here are the list of combination therapy to malaria
1) Artemether + Lumefanthrine (also called coartem, or trade names include Amatem) is the best.
2) Sulphonamides + pyrimethamine (also called Fansidar) used only as chemoprophylaxis. Not effective against Falciparum strains.
3) Artesunate + Amodiaquine (for chemoprophylaxis)
4) Chloroquine (best for pregnant women but has now developed resistance)
5) Proguanil
6) Mefloquine
7) Primaquine
8) Quinine
9) Halofanthrine
Please and please, dont no administer Primaquine to pregnant mothers as the fetus is 100% likely to come down with Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
Also, avoid unnecessary consumption/ingestion of the listed drugs above so as to prevent Resistance.
Also, malarial drugs have toxic side effects which range from nausea to vomitting, deafness, G6PD DEFICIENCY, Pruritus etc.
If symptoms persist after three(3) days of taking COARTEM, consult the doctor 😷...
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