Plasmodium parasites cause malaria in humans and are transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. The life cycle includes various stages, from sporozoites to merozoites, and can cause severe symptoms such as anemia, fever, and even organ failure. Antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine can prevent and treat the infection.
Plasmodium is a genus of protozoan parasites, many of which are known to cause malaria in humans. The parasites are transmitted between human hosts by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Plasmodium cannot survive outside of a mosquito or human, so the entire life cycle of the plasmodium is done during the transmission and infection process. There are several rather complex stages in the plasmodium life cycle, although researchers have been able to pinpoint the pathways and mechanisms the parasites use to lay eggs, mature, thrive and replicate.
The plasmodium life cycle begins when new cells, called sporozoites, are harvested by a mosquito when it bites an infected person. The sporozoites lie dormant in the mosquito’s saliva until it bites another host. The immature parasites travel in a human’s bloodstream to the liver, where they attach themselves to cells called hepatocytes. Over the course of about nine days, sporozoites mature into their juvenile form called merozoites. It is common for several thousand merozoites to form within a few liver cells.
Clusters of merozoites usually clear from the liver between nine and 20 days after the initial infection. They then invade red blood cells called erythrocytes and use the cells’ energy sources to drive asexual reproduction. In about two to four days, the infected red blood cells break open and the Plasmodium parasites spread rapidly to other host cells. The parasites are constantly replicating in the bloodstream and new spores can be picked up again by the mosquitoes, thus continuing the plasmodium life cycle.
People infected with malaria can experience a variety of devastating side effects. Anemia is common as parasites cause red blood cells to break down. Fever, nausea, vomiting, and muscle pain become prevalent as the plasmodium spreads into the bloodstream. In severe cases, people can experience full-body seizures, extreme fatigue, or even a coma. Lung, liver, or kidney failure is possible if Plasmodium spores outnumber the majority of red blood cells in the body.
Malaria is often fatal without prompt medical attention. Thanks to recent medical advances and new and deeper understanding of the plasmodium life cycle, medical specialists are usually able to fight the parasites in the early stages of infection. Antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine are generally effective in boosting the immune system’s defenses and preventing the reproduction of plasmodium in the blood. Additionally, doctors strongly urge world travelers to get chloroquine injections before traveling as a form of preventative medicine.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
