Question

The malignant malaria is caused by
(a) Plasmodium vivax
(b) Plasmodium malaria
(c) Plasmodium ovale
(d) Plasmodium falciparum

Answer 1

Hint: Malaria is a disease caused by the pathogenic protozoan parasite Plasmodium, commonly known as a malarial parasite. More than 100 species of malarial plasmodium are known to infect man, monkeys, rodents, reptiles, and birds. A man may host four of them, namely P. vivax, P. malariae, P. falciparum, and P. ovale. These four species differ from each other in their morphology, length of the incubation period, immunological and epidemiological characteristics.

Complete step by step answer:
The term malaria means bad air. It is one of the most widespread transmissible diseases in the world. Sometime before, it was the greatest killers, next to cancer and diseases. Plasmodium vivax causes benign tertian malaria with a low death rate. P. falciparum causes malignant tertian malaria with a high death rate. P. malariae causes quartan malaria with a very low death rate and P. ovale causes mild tertian malaria. The transmission of malarial parasites occurs under appropriate climatic conditions.
The symptoms of Malaria include: Enlargement and tenderness of the spleen and liver, inflammatory changes in the lungs, haemolytic and hypochromic anemia due to massive destruction of infected RBCs, a drastic drop in hemoglobin level and marked fall in RBC count, functional disorders of the cardiovascular systems, such as sub-normal BP, bradycardia, and slight enlargement of the heart. The transmitters of plasmodia include nearly 80 types of mosquitoes in the genus of Anopheles.
So, the correct answer is '(d) Plasmodium falciparum'.

Additional Information:
- There is no immunization against malaria.
- The control of malaria is possible only through a) destruction of mosquitoes, b) prophylaxis, and c) therapy.
- Malarial infection can be prevented through protection from mosquito bites by using mosquito nets, mosquito repellents, anti- mosquito creams, and oils, etc.

Note:
- Falciparum malaria is the most severe form of malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, with severe constitutional symptoms and sometimes causing death.
- The number of imported falciparum malaria cases has been increasing in the past 20 years with the highest number seen in people traveling to West Africa.
- Falciparum malaria may lead to intravascular hemolysis with haematuria and then is known as Blackwater fever.