Question

Pharmacology: This module discusses many different diseases that we may or may not have vaccines to prevent the disease. Select a disease from the readings in this module and share with your classmates what you have learned about the disease and the agents/drugs used to prevent or cure the patient. End with a question that your classmates can share their answer adding to your discussion: DISEASE SELECTED: Malaria

Answer 1

Malaria is a disease that is caused by the bite of a female anopheles mosquito, which transmits a parasite responsible for the disease. high fever and cills are the common symptoms of malaria. other symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, fatigue, etc.

infection cycle -

anopheles mosquito is the carrier of the malarial parasite - plasmodium. when this carrier mosquito bites a human it transmits the plasmodium into the bloodstream of that person. plasmodium then reaches the liver and become mature (as it passes through various stages). after maturation plasmodium parasite enters the bloodstream and infects red blood cells and malaria is caused.

no vaccine has been developed till now for malaria.

some preventive measures we can take for malaria -

• cover your skin with long sleeves clothes - especially children.
• apply mosquito repellent creams to clothes and body.
• sleep under the mosquito net

drugs used to prevent malaria -

• Atovaquone (malarone)
• doxycycline
• mefloquine
• Chloroquine