Malaria Lecture Notes Flashcards

Malaria: A Brief Overview

Case Study: A Tragic Outcome

• A young girl accompanied her diplomat father on a two-week trip to Nigeria.
• The local doctor advised against antimalarials, deeming the city stay low-risk.
• Upon return, she developed a fever, initially misdiagnosed as a viral infection.
• No blood tests were conducted despite her travel history to a malaria-endemic country.
• She relapsed and was hospitalized in a delirious and semi-conscious state.
• Hematologist reported a 10% parasitemia of Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous species known for causing cerebral malaria and drug resistance.
• Tragically, she passed away within 36 hours due to the severity of the infection.
• The doctor, overwhelmed by guilt for not ordering appropriate tests, committed suicide.
• Moral of the story is that malaria has a huge impact on individuals and the people connected to them.

Challenges in Developing a Malaria Vaccine

• The malaria parasite frequently changes its surface antigens throughout its life cycle.
• Different parasite forms exist in mosquitoes and humans. These include:
  • Gametocytes (inside mosquito)
  • Sporozoites (injected into humans and travel to the liver)
  • Merozoites (released from red blood cells)
• This constant change in form makes it difficult to create a vaccine effective against all stages.

Care for Malaria Patients (Pre-Hospital)

• Australians travel frequently, so it's useful to know basic care.
• Carry antimalarials when traveling to endemic areas.
• If patients have high fevers (around 40^\circ C), use cool, moist cloths to lower their temperature since high fevers can damage the brain.
• Administer paracetamol to help reduce fever.
• Provide oral rehydration, as patients can lose up to 2 liters of fluid per hour due to fever.

Hospital Treatment

• Severe cases, particularly those involving falciparum malaria, often require hospitalization.
• Blood transfusions may be necessary due to widespread red blood cell destruction.
• Kidney failure can occur, potentially requiring dialysis.
• Patients may need intensive care unit (ICU) treatment.
• Intravenous (IV) fluids are administered when patients are too ill to take oral medication.
• Antiprotozoal treatment is crucial.

Geographical Considerations

• Australia's northern neighbors are close to the equatorial regions where drug-resistant malaria, especially falciparum, is prevalent.
• This poses a considerable challenge in controlling malaria.

Future Learning

• A more detailed study of malaria, including parasite morphology and life cycles, will be undertaken in the second semester.