Malaria is an infection caused by a protozoa, specifically an amoeba, that lives part of its life cycle in its definitive host, the mosquito, and part of its life in humans, its intermediate host. Malaria is a scourge particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where most of its resultant deaths occur. Malaria is typified by high fever and body aches. Young children and older adults are particularly susceptible to malarial illness.
Liver Infection
In the body, the infection first finds a home in the liver, infecting the liver cell and forming a capsule, called a schizont, in which hundreds of malarial cells multiply through binary fission. When the liver cell ruptures, the new malarial cells look for new cells to invade. These cells are called merozoites.
Warning
The liver malaria parasite can reside in the organ from days to years, but can be released later, much longer after the original infection. When released, it causes the symptoms of malaria all over again.
Red Blood Cell Infection
Eventually, the malarial infection will take root in blood cells, and reproduce inside them. Red blood cell parasites may divide asexually as they did in the liver, forming a schizont, or they may form gametes, or sex cells, that contain half as many chromosomes as a normal cell.
Mosquito Life Cycle
The malarial sex cells are taken up by the mosquito when it bites the human intermediate host. The male cells, called microgametocytes, join with the female cells, called macrogametocytes, to form an oocyst in the mosquito. When the oocyst ruptures sporozoites are released into the body of the mosquito. The sporozoites find their way to the salivary glands of the mosquito, where they are released again into the blood stream of the human bitten by the mosquito.
Prevention/Solution
Malaria can cause death when blood cell damage prevents circulation to vital organs. Malaria can be prevented by sleeping in nets to prevent mosquito bites and controlling mosquito populations with the use of sprays. Malaria infection can be treated with the herbal drug artemisinin.
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