Discussion Questions: What is malaria? (Refer to pages 99-103 in your assigned text reading (Friis, 3rd edition), and lecture material. Describe the name and the classification of the microorganism (virus vs bacteria vs protozoa) that causes this disease, the name of the mosquito that is a vector for disease transmission and the specific pathways for transmission. Do you think that the use of DDT is justified to control malaria in endemic areas of the world? Be specific in your supporting your opinion, why or why not? (Refer to information from your lecture and assigned reading in pages 162 to the top of page 165 in your text).
Malaria is a protozoan infectious disease transmitted from one person to another through the bite of an infected mosquito which enter into the human red blood cells, grow, multiply and destroy the red blood cells.
The microorganism causing malaria is protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The five types of parasite which cause malaria are Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae.
The vector transmitting the disease is infected female Anopheles mosquito.
Transmission of disease ; The mosquito get infected with plasmodium protozoa while feeding from an infected person. The mosquito carry the parasite bit a non infected person and transmit the microorganism to the blood stream and the person get infected. the parasite travel to the liver and grow then then grown mature parasite leave the liver and infect the red blood cells and the person may show malarial symptoms. The cycle of transmission continue.
Other mode of transmission are sharing needles and syringes, mother to fetus, organ transplant and blood transfusion.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) use
The use of DDT is justified to control malaria in endemic areas of the world because in the middle of the 20th century, the worldwide malaria eradication campaign organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used a strategy of combined use of administration of drug Chloroquine for prophylaxis and DDT for inside residual spraying to control the mosquitoes leads to the elimination of endemic malaria in developed countries such as Europe and North America and show an important reduction of malarial cases in developing countries.
Discussion Questions: What is malaria? (Refer to pages 99-103 in your assigned text reading (Friis, 3rd...
What is malaria? Describe the name and the classification of the microorganism (virus vs bacteria vs protozoa) that causes this disease, the name of the mosquito that is a vector for disease transmission and the specific pathways for transmission. Do you think that the use of DDT is justified to control malaria in endemic areas of the world? Be specific in your supporting your opinion, why or why not?