Malaria Parasite - the Deadly Parasite

Malaria is actually a serious disease caused by parasites that infects a certain type of mosquito. People who suffer from malaria may typically be having flu-like symptoms like high fever and chills. This is one of the reasons why proper treatment are usually not administered at the onset of the disease because the victim feel its just a regular flu not knowing that if the illness is not promptly treated, it may actually lead to death. The malaria parasite plasmodium, which infects the human body, basically has four types: falciparum, vivax, ovale and malariae. Of the four, experts say that the deadliest is the falciparum, which is usually transmitted by the type of mosquito known as Anopheles gambie. The Malaria parasite needs a human host and a mosquito tissue for it to complete its life cycle. Once settled inside the human body, it proliferates, causing flu-like symptoms at first. As it further develops, it then destroys the red blood cells. This destruction of the red blood cells alone or severe anemia can cause death to humans. Capillaries that supply the vital organs with blood are soon clogged, adding to the fatal blow of this disease. Malaria should not be taken lightly. If the patient is having flu-like symptoms, its best to have a diagnostic test immediately. This can be done by taking some of the patients blood samples and examining it under the microscope to determine whether there are parasites present. Symptoms of the disease start to show after 10 days after the infection. In some cases, signs are seen after a month and even after one year. This is because some types of the plasmodium parasite can lay dormant in the liver for a number of months and up to four years after being bitten by the infected mosquito. This is also the case with malaria relapse. Fortunately, it is a not a contagious disease, which means that you cant get malaria from simply getting into contact with an infected person.