Specialist Biomedical Scientist Kunalini Shanmuganathan with a nuts-and-bolts guide to examination for malaria.
Malaria is a life-threatening tropical disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium. It is transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are five parasite species that are well known to cause disease in humans: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi. However, there are also two species, which are less common, known as Plasmodium cynomolgi and Plasmodium simium, that have been shown to infect humans and animals, but only in specific geographical regions. P. falciparum and P. vivax are the most common types of malaria and contribute towards the most malaria-related deaths worldwide. Early detection using laboratory techniques is crucial to diagnose the condition.
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Image credit | Science-Photolibrary
