Plasmodium vivax is a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Plasmodium vivax is one of four species of plasmodium that cause malaria in humans. It is transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito and causes debilitating cycles of fever and chills, as well as anemia. P. vivax is the most common cause of malaria outside of Africa, and is becoming increasingly prevalent as environmental conditions become more favorable for its transmission.
Life Cycle
The parasite's life cycle inside its human host causes symptoms of a P. vivax infection. P. vivax becomes injected into a human's blood stream when an infected mosquito takes a blood meal; from there, the parasite invades the liver cells and the red blood cells, and begins to reproduce. Each round of replication ends in the destruction of the infected cells, as P. vivax bursts forth to begin the cycle anew. A single round of replication takes approximately 42 hours, and is closely linked to the periodicity of the fevers associated with vivax malaria.
Cycles of Fever
The malaria caused by P. vivax is an acute and painful illness. The fevers associated with this malaria occur in regular and well-defined cycles of 48 hours, beginning with violent chills and leading to fevers and profuse sweating. An entire episode can last from 4 to 8 hours, and the fevers can reach peaks of 104.9 degrees Fahrenheit. These symptoms, while typical to all forms of malaria, are much more intense in vivax malaria.
Anemia
P. vivax also causes anemia, which, although rarely life-threatening, can have economic consequences by rendering people unable to work. This anemia is caused in part by P. vivax's life cycle, wherein the parasite invades its human host's red blood cells. However, the physical destruction of red blood cells by P. vivax does not entirely explain the low levels of red blood cells associated with vivax malaria, and the true causes of malarial anemia remain poorly understood.
Fatal Plasmodium Vivax Infections
Although it is very rare, P. vivax infections can be fatal. These cases are associated with lung injury and the pathological consequences of the damage to the liver caused by P. vivax's life cycle.
Tags: associated with, blood cells, infected mosquito, vivax malaria, associated with vivax