
These types of malaria are Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium falciparum Plasmodium falciparum is a unicellular protozoan parasite of humans, and the deadliest species of Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans. It is transmitted through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. It is responsible for roughly 50% of all malaria cases. It causes the disease's …Plasmodium falciparum
- Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)
- Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)
- Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)
- Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)
- Plasmodium knowlesi (or P. knowlesi)
How many species of malaria are there?
There are approximately 156 named species of Plasmodium which infect various species of vertebrates. Four species are considered true parasites of humans, as they utilize humans almost exclusively as a natural intermediate host: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P.
What are the five malaria species?
... are 5 Plasmodium species that cause malaria in human: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plas- modium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium knowlesi.
What type of species is malaria?
There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax – pose the greatest threat. In 2020, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria. Most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
What are the four species of Plasmodium?
Four species of Plasmodium cause human malaria, P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale, and P.
What are the 2 most common types of malaria?
Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum are the most common malarial parasites, while P. malariae and P. ovale are other rarer forms.
What are the 3 stages of malaria?
The first is a 15-to-60 minute cold stage characterized by shivering and a feeling of cold. Next comes the 2-to-6 hour hot stage, in which there is fever, sometimes reaching 41°C, flushed, dry skin, and often headache, nausea, and vomiting.
What are the 5 types of parasites?
They're not always visible to the naked eye.Tapeworms. You can get a tapeworm, which is a type of flatworm, by drinking water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae. ... Flukes. Flukes are another type of flatworm. ... Hookworms. ... Pinworms (threadworms) ... Trichinella.
What is malaria parasite name?
Malaria parasites are micro-organisms that belong to the genus Plasmodium. There are more than 100 species of Plasmodium, which can infect many animal species such as reptiles, birds, and various mammals. Four species of Plasmodium have long been recognized to infect humans in nature.
Is there a vaccine for malaria?
A malaria vaccine is a vaccine that is used to prevent malaria. The only approved vaccine, as of 2021, is RTS,S, known by the brand name Mosquirix. In October 2021, the WHO for the first time recommended the large-scale use of a malaria vaccine for children living in areas with moderate-to-high malaria transmission.
Which malaria type is the most serious one?
Plasmodium falciparum is the type of malaria that most often causes severe and life-threatening malaria; this parasite is very common in many countries in Africa south of the Sahara desert. People who are heavily exposed to the bites of mosquitoes infected with P. falciparum are most at risk of dying from malaria.
What species cause malaria in humans?
The range of insect species that can support the critical development of Plasmodium depends on the individual parasite species, but all five Plasmodium species causing malaria in humans are transmitted exclusively by anopheline mosquitoes.
Who first discovered malaria?
Dr. Alphonse Laveran, a military doctor in France's Service de Santé des Armées (Health Service of the Armed Forces). The military hospital in Constantine (Algeria), where Laveran discovered the malaria parasite in 1880.
What are the 5 types of parasites?
They're not always visible to the naked eye.Tapeworms. You can get a tapeworm, which is a type of flatworm, by drinking water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae. ... Flukes. Flukes are another type of flatworm. ... Hookworms. ... Pinworms (threadworms) ... Trichinella.
Which species of malaria is most serious one?
While Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for more deaths, Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread of all of the malaria species, can cause severe, even fatal infections and results in significant global morbidity and mortality.
How many species of Plasmodium vivax are known?
vivax is carried by at least 71 mosquito species. Many vivax vectors thrive in temperate climates—as far north as Finland. Some prefer to bite outdoors or during the daytime, hampering the effectiveness of indoor insecticide and bed nets.
Why is it important to identify malaria species?
Malaria species identification is particularly important when different species have separate treatment policies, most commonly artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for P. falciparum (and P. vivax at regions where chloroquine resistance is prevalent) and chloroquine for non-falciparum species.
What Are the Different Types of Malaria Parasites?
Five species of Plasmodium (single-celled parasites) can infect humans and cause illness:
Can falciparum malaria cause kidney failure?
Patients with severe falciparum malaria may develop liver and kidney failure, convulsions, and coma. Although occasionally severe, infections with P. vivax and P. ovale generally cause less serious illness, but the parasites can remain dormant in the liver for many months, causing a reappearance of symptoms months or even years later.
How long does it take for malaria to show symptoms?
Malaria is an acute febrile illness. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10–15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms – fever, headache, and chills – may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria. If not treated within 24 hours, Plasmodium falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness, and lead to death.
Is malaria a disease?
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.
How many cases of malaria worldwide in 2019?
It is preventable and curable. In 2019, there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409 000 in 2019.
What is the most vulnerable group to malaria?
Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria; in 2019, they accounted for 67% (274 000) of all malaria deaths worldwide. The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2019, the region was home to 94% of malaria cases and deaths.
How many countries have mosquito resistance?
According to the latest World malaria report, 73 countries reported mosquito resistance to at least 1 of the 4 commonly-used insecticide classes in the period 2010-2019. In 28 countries, mosquito resistance was reported to all of the main insecticide classes.
Why is it important to monitor the efficacy of antimalarial drugs?
Protecting the efficacy of antimalarial medicines is critical to malaria control and elimination. Regular monitoring of drug efficacy is needed to inform treatment policies in malaria-endemic countries, and to ensure early detection of, and response to, drug resistance.
How many species of Anopheles are there?
There are more than 400 different species of Anopheles mosquito; around 30 are malaria vectors of major importance. All of the important vector species bite between dusk and dawn. The intensity of transmission depends on factors related to the parasite, the vector, the human host, and the environment.
What is the cause of malaria?
Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors.". There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
How long does it take for malaria to show symptoms?
Malaria is an acute febrile illness. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10–15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms – fever, headache, and chills – may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria.
Where is malaria found?
In areas with lower transmission (such as Asia and Latin America), infections are less frequent and a larger proportion of the older children and adults have no protective immunity. In such areas, malaria disease can be found in all age groups, and epidemics can occur.
What is the key determinant of malaria?
Climate is a key determinant of both the geographic distribution and the seasonality of malaria. Without sufficient rainfall, mosquitoes cannot survive, and if not sufficiently warm, parasites cannot survive in the mosquito.
What parasites mate in the gut of a mosquito?
When certain forms of blood stage parasites (gametocytes, which occur in male and female forms) are ingested during blood feeding by a female Anopheles mosquito, they mate in the gut of the mosquito and begin a cycle of growth and multiplication in the mosquito.
What is the blood stage parasite?
Blood stage parasites are responsible for the clinical manifestations of the disease. The gametocytes, male (microgametocytes) and female (macrogametocytes), are ingested by an Anopheles mosquito during a blood meal . The parasites’ multiplication in the mosquito is known as the sporogonic cycle .
How old is anemia in Kenya?
Anemia in young children in Asembo Bay, a highly endemic area in western Kenya. Anemia occurs most between the ages of 6 and 24 months. After 24 months, it decreases because the children have built up their acquired immunity against malaria (and its consequence, anemia).
Where do malaria parasites grow?
In humans, the parasites grow and multiply first in the liver cells and then in the red cells of the blood. In the blood, successive broods of parasites grow inside the red cells and destroy them, releasing daughter parasites (“merozoites”) ...
Where does Plasmodium falciparum live?
Plasmodium falciparum predominates in Africa south of the Sahara, one reason why malaria is so severe in that area.
What are the symptoms of malaria?
Diarrhea. Abdominal pain. Muscle or joint pain. Fatigue. Rapid breathing. Rapid heart rate. Cough. Some people who have malaria experience cycles of malaria "attacks.". An attack usually starts with shivering and chills, followed by a high fever, followed by sweating and a return to normal temperature.
What is the greatest risk factor for developing malaria?
The greatest risk factor for developing malaria is to live in or to visit areas where the disease is common. These include the tropical and subtropical regions of: The degree of risk depends on local malaria control, seasonal changes in malaria rates and the precautions you take to prevent mosquito bites.
What is the degree of risk of malaria?
The degree of risk depends on local malaria control, seasonal changes in malaria rates and the precautions you take to prevent mosquito bites.
Why do people get malaria?
Because the parasites that cause malaria affect red blood cells, people can also catch malaria from exposure to infected blood, including:
What is the cause of malaria?
Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans most commonly through mosquito bites.
How long does malaria stay in your system?
However, some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to a year.
How long does it take for malaria to show symptoms?
Malaria signs and symptoms typically begin within a few weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Where is malaria most prevalent?
Malaria is transmitted year-round. The highest transmission is found in Africa South of the Sahara and in parts of Oceania such as Papua New Guinea. In cooler regions, transmission will be less intense and more seasonal. There, P. vivax might be more prevalent because it is more tolerant of lower ambient temperatures.
Where does malaria occur?
Where malaria is found depends mainly on climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall. Malaria is transmitted in tropical and subtropical areas , where. Malaria parasites can complete their growth cycle in the mosquitoes (“extrinsic incubation period”). Temperature is particularly critical.
Does malaria occur in all parts of the world?
In many malaria-endemic countries, malaria transmission does not occur in all parts of the country. Even within tropical and subtropical areas, transmission will not occur. In some countries where transmission has been interrupted through successful control/elimination programs. Malaria is transmitted year-round.
Does malaria affect temperate areas?
In many temperate areas, such as western Europe and the United States, economic development and public health measures have succeeded in eliminating malaria. However, most of these areas have Anopheles mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, and reintroduction of the disease is a constant risk.

Disease Burden
- The new cause-of-death methodology was applied to 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa that shoulder about 93% of all malaria deaths globally. Applying the methodology revealed that malaria has taken a considerably higher toll on African children every year since 2000 than previously thought. The WHO African Region continues to carry a disproportiona...
Prevention
- Over the last 2 decades, expanded access to WHO-recommended malaria prevention tools and strategies – including effective vector control and the use of preventive antimalarial drugs – has had a major impact in reducing the global burden of this disease.
Case Management
- Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduces disease, prevents deaths and contributes to reducing transmission. WHO recommends that all suspected cases of malaria be confirmed using parasite-based diagnostic testing(through either microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test). Diagnostic testing enables health providers to swiftly distinguish between malarial and non-mal…
Elimination
- Malaria elimination is defined as the interruption of local transmission of a specified malaria parasite species in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate activities. Continued measures to prevent re-establishment of transmission are required. In 2020, 26 countries reported fewer than 100 indigenous cases of the disease, up from 6 countries in 2000. Countries that hav…
Surveillance
- Malaria surveillance is the continuous and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of malaria-related data, and the use of that data in the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health practice. Improved surveillance of malaria cases and deaths helps ministries of health determine which areas or population groups are most affected and enables countries to …
Who Response
- The WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030, updated in 2021, provides a technical framework for all malaria-endemic countries. It is intended to guide and support regional and country programmes as they work towards malaria control and elimination. The strategy sets ambitious but achievable global targets, including: 1. reducing malaria case incidence by at leas…