Why is malaria an

ecological hazard?
Malaria – A vectored
disease
Plasmodium parasite
So what is it…..?
• Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread
to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes,
called "malaria vectors."
• There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of
these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
(Source: WHO)
Bursting blood vessels. What impact do you think this would have on a person?
Propose a reason why this graph represents the importance of
studying this disease.
About ½ the world’s population is affected by malaria in their lifetime –
1.2mil die annually
Study the distribution of malaria. What physical factors do you think its distribution relate to?
 Map of malaria C1900
What other elements may contribute to malaria distribution?

The digitised ‘Lysenko’ map of global malaria endemicity circa 1900. This historic map constructed by Lysenko and Semashko
[3] during the 1960s was based on a worldwide assembly of diverse malariometric data, simple climatic rules and expert opinion.
The classic strata of malaria endemicity are described, each relating to infection prevalence (parasite rate, PR) in children:
hypoendemic, PR <10 %; mesoendemic, PR ≥10 % and <50 %; hyperendemic, PR ≥50 % and <75 %; and holoendemic, PR
≥75 %. This is a reproduction of the map in Hay et al. [4]
 The single cell protozoa,
plasmodium, travels to the
mosquito gut to grow and Plasmodium moves to
Anopheles mosquito bites the salivary gland of the
an infected human mature.
mosquito.
ingesting parasite.

Vital organs are

deprived of oxygen
often leading to
death. Saliva covered proboscis
enters human and saliva is
Plasmodia now invade further added to bite site
other red blood cells to prevent coagulation
Toxins cause fever, chills or
flu-like symptoms

Parasites now enter red Parasites enter human

blood cells and grow until blood stream and travel to
they burst the cell and liver cells to multiply
release toxins. and grow.