MANAGEMENT OF MALARIA

Dr.Priyadarshni.M
CRMI
PLASMODIUM

• Plasmodium is responsible for the disease malaria

• Vector – Anopheles mosquito

• Species – P.vivax- causes bening tertain malaria.

P.falciparum - malignant tertian malaria.
P.malariae- causes quartan malaria.
P.ovale-causes ovale malaria.
• DEFINITIVE HOST – Female anopheles mosquito
• INTERMEDIATE HOST – Humans
• MODE OF INFECTION – bite of anopheles mosquito
which inoculates the sporozoites.
 INVESTIGATION
MICROSCOPY
Gold standard
Senstivity-5 parasites / microlitre.
1. THICK BLOOD FILM- used for detecting the presence of parasite.
used for rough estimation of parasitaemia.

2.THIN BLOOD SMEAR-used for species identification.

used for exact quantification of parasitaemia.
 QUANTITATIVE BUFFY COAT

• Also called –microhematocrit tube method

• Sensitivity- 2 parasites/
• Duration-few minutes
• Disadvantage –expensive
speciation not possible
 RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST

• Immunochromatographic tests/ lateral flow assay

• Detection of plasmodium antigen in the patients blood using
antibodies.
-pan malarial antigen-LDH/aldolase
-P.F specific antigen –Histidine rich protease-2
• Advantages- Rapid & cheap
• Disadvantage-
low sensitivity(50-100/parasites/micro L)
Speciation is not possible expect for PF
  PCR
• PCR uses a polymerase enzyme to copy the (DNA) of
the malaria parasite.
• This process increases or amplifies, the number of
DNA nucleic acids so they can be more easily picked
up by laboratory tests such as protein assays.
• PCR can be used to diagnose malaria from a very
small blood sample volume, or a blood sample that has
been dried on filter paper.
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most sensitive
test for malaria at more than 90% sensitivity.
• While microscopy can detect infected red blood cells
with a parasite load of 50 parasites / µL, PCR is able to
detect as few as 1 parasite / µL.
• Disadvantage-labor-intensive, the most expensive, and
takes the longest to get results.