Blood Test For Malaria example essay topic

It is one of the ten deadliest diseases of all time. It effects men, women, children, and animals. It is in full force in Africa, India, Asia, China, South America, and the Caribbean. This disease is malaria. Nearly 40 percent of the world's population lives in areas that are effected by the disease. Malaria is a serious, infectious disease spread by certain mosquitoes.

It is caused by infection with the Plasmodium genus of the protozoan parasite. More than one hundred species of this parasite exist. It is capable of infecting reptiles, birds, rodents, and primates. Four species infect human beings, the most common being P. viva x and P... Many animals can get malaria but human malaria does not spread to animals. In turn, animal malaria does not spread to humans.

A person becomes infected with malaria when bitten by a female mosquito who processes the malaria parasite. The parasite enters the blood stream and travels to the liver, where they multiply. When they re-emerge into the blood stream symptoms appear. By the time most symptoms show up, the parasites have reproduced very rapidly, clogging blood vessels and rupturing cells. Malaria cannot be casually transmitted. Instead an infected mosquito bites someone with it, and then passes the disease on to the next person bit.

It is also possible to spread malaria through contaminated needles or in blood transfusions. This is why all blood donors are screened for exposure to malaria. The amount of time it takes for the symptoms to show up varies. The period between the two is usually 8 and 12 days for malaria, and up to a month for other types. Symptoms from some strains of P. Viva x may not be seen for up to 8-10 months.

The primary symptom of all types of malaria is the "malaria ague" (chills and fever). In most cases the fever has three stages. Uncontrollable shivering for an hour or two, followed by a rapid rise in temperature as high as (106 degrees) which lasts for three hours. Then just as suddenly the patient begins to sweat profusely.

Other symptoms may include fatigue, severe headache, or nausea and vomiting. As the sweat goes away the patient feels weak and falls asleep. In many cases this cycle of chills, fever, and sweating occurs every other day, or they may last for between a week and a month. Those with the chronic form of malaria may have a relapse as long as 50 years after the initial infection. Falciparum malaria is far more severe than other types of malaria because the parasite attacks all red blood cells, not just the young or old cells, as do other types.

It causes the red blood cells to become very "sticky". A patient with this type can die within hours of the first symptoms. The fever is prolonged. So many red blood cells are destroyed that they block the blood vessels in vital organs (especially the kidneys) and the spleen can become enlarged. There may be brain damage, leading to coma and convulsions. The kidneys and liver may also fail due to the disease.

Malaria in pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Certain kinds of mosquitoes can pick up the parasite by biting an infected human. This is true for as long as that human has parasites in his / her blood. Since strains of malaria do not protect against each other, it is possible to be reinfected with the parasites again, and again. It is also possible to develop a chronic infection without developing an effective immune response. Malaria is diagnosed by examining blood under a microscope.

The parasite can be seen in the blood on a slide. Anyone who becomes ill with chills and fever after being in an area where malaria exists must see a doctor and mention their recent travel to endemic areas. A person with the symptoms who has recently been in a high-risk area should insist on a blood test for malaria. Malaria is often diagnosed by North American doctors who are not used to seeing the disease. Delaying treatment of the malaria parasite can be fatal.