Malaria : The parasites behind it.

Malaria is a mosquito borne infectious disease, which is generally caused by 4 distinct types of Plasmodium. All four of them are protozoan parasites. They are as follows

• Plasmodium Falciparum
• Plasmodium Vivax
• Plasmodioum Ovale
• Plasmodium Malariae

P.Falciparum is the most dangerous and fatal of these infections, they develop sticky knobs in red blood cells which stick along with endothelial cells of blood vessels , which in turn obstructs spleen clearance. The acquired adhesiveness of the RBCs may further negate oxygenation of the brain, resulting in cerebral malaria.
P.Vivax is the cause of recurring malaria, it is rather less virulent and is seldom fatal. P.Vivax enters the liver of the infected person and attacks the hepatic cells and reproduce asexually, P.Vivax prefer penetrating young RBCs( reticulocytes) the parasites RBC will be twice as larger than its normal size.
P.Ovale also is responsible for tertian Malaria, but is very rare compared to P.facliparum and P.Vivax.
P.Malariae is also known as the benign malaria and is rare compared to P,Falci and P.Vivax. But P.malariae can cause a chronic infection which can last a lifetime.It alone has very low morbidity but it can manifest in incidences of Anemia, low birth rates and reduced resistance to other infections.
Treatment is based on the type of infection and generally P.Vivax,Ovale and Malariae are treated on a OP basis.