MALARIA

Malaria is the most important parasitic disease of the human in terms of morbidity and mortality. Every year malaria accounts 3 million deaths across the world, mostly in young children’s and pregnant women’s in developing countries. It is caused by Plasmodium which is an obligate intracellular protozoa. Four species of plasmodium are responsible for the cause of malaria in human beings are P.falciparum, P.vivax,P.ovale,P.malariae.It is spread to humans during the bite of an infected female anopheline mosquito. Rarely malaria may be transmitted by blood transmission,transplacently or through contaminated needles. The transmission of malaria is profoundly influenced by climate. The optimum conditions are environmental temperatures between 20 and 30 degree celcius.and relative humidity of at least 60 percent. Malaria transmission does not occur at temperatures below 16C or above 30C.It is common during rainy season because of stagnant water and high humidity favour mosquito breeding and survival. Infection with malaria begins when sporozoites ,the infective stage of the parasite. Within 30-45 minutes of the bite,sporozites disappear from blood stream.The incubation period ranges from 9 to 40 days. It can be prolonged by partial immunity and chemoprophylaxis. Almost all the severe morbidity and morality in malaria are caused by P.falciparum which causes disease like cerebral malaria and severe anemia,hypoglycaemia etc.There are several anti malarial drugs like Artemisia derivaties,Mefloquine and Halofantrine which are used by the humans to prevent malaria.Artemisinin derivatives drug acts on late stage ring parasites and trophozoites,Mefloquine is an effective drug for the treatment of uncomplicated multidrug resistant P.falciparum infection. Some antigens are available which will be helpfull in reducing the disease transmission . Research has concentrated on vaccines against all stages of parasite life cycle