Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium.
It has been around for hundreds of thousands of
Malaria can be transmitted through the most
common route which is through a mosquito
bite from an infected female mosquito from the
genus Anopheles. Other less common
transmission paths include: Blood Transfusion,
Transplantation, Infected Needles and at birth.
It can’t be transmitted from human to human.
Malaria kills nearly one million people each
year although it is preventable and curable.
Prevention Methods:
- Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets which cover
your bed at night when the mosquitos are
more likely to bite
- Treating women during pregnancy when
they have a lower immunity
- Health Education- Learning about malaria
and its dangers
- Environmental methods- Getting rid of
pools of stagnant water, clearing bushes
and planting lemon grass
Treatment Methods:
- Treatment is provided in hospital
- Doctors prescribe medication based on
which form of malaria parasite you have.
- One vaccine in Europe is the only one
currently approved for human use
- Quick diagnosis and Treatment is vital
- Artemisinin-based combination therapy
(ACT) is recommended by the World
Health Organisation
years but a boom in agriculture around 10,000
years ago lead to the parasite being able to
multiply rapidly.
Signs and Symptoms: The symptoms of malaria
- High Fever typically develop within 10
- Nausea days to four weeks following
- Headache the infection/mosquito bite.
- Vomiting In some cases, symptoms
- Profuse Sweating may not develop for several
- Muscle Pain months. Some malarial
- Abdominal Pain parasites can enter the body
- Diarrhoea but can stay dormant for
- Anemia long periods of time.
- Shaking Chills
- Convulsions
- Coma
Malaria has a severe effect on homeostasis, which is when
the body tries to achieve equilibrium between
interdependent elements in the body. The endocrine
system sends hormones and messages through the body
through the blood. The erythrocytes are destroyed by the
parasite Plasmodium, meaning that the messages/signals
get affected. Due to the erythrocytes getting destroyed,
there is less oxygen getting delivered around the body.
This impacts the homeostasis that the body is trying to
achieve as it effects hormone levels, metabolism, organs
and crucial glands. This may result in metabolic acidosis,
organ complications and hypoglycaemia. Malaria impacts
on homeostasis in the body, especially in the organs.
Made By Abilaash Kugathasan