Malaria and Other Blood Borne Parasitic Diseases

Question 1

What are 2 benefits of parasitising the circulatory and lymphatic systems?

Answer 1

Erythrocytes express no MHC I so the parasite is invisible and the blood stream is a good source of glucose, lipids, amino acids and ions

Question 2

How can parasitic diseases be classified?

Answer 2

Protozoan infections and Helminth infections

Question 3

Give 4 examples of protozoan infections

Answer 3

Malaria, babesiosis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis

Question 4

Give 2 examples of helminth infections

Answer 4

Loiasis and lymphatic filariasis

Question 5

Give 2 examples of helminth infections

Answer 5

Loiasis and lymphatic filariasis

Question 6

What is the life cycle of Plasmodium?

Answer 6

Mosquito has a blood meal
Parasites replicate in mosquito
In next meal, sporozoites are released from mosquito salivary glands
Sporozoites enter the liver
Develop into merozoites which infect RBC
Become trophozoites and grow
Become gametocytes and are taken up by other mosquitoes

Question 7

How do RBC infected with malaria appear under a microscope?

Answer 7

Have a ring inside them

Question 8

What are 4 sx of malaria?

Answer 8

Malarial retinopathy, seizures and neurological sequelae, febrile attacks and severe anaemia

Question 9

What is antigenic variation?

Answer 9

Method where parasite alters the antigens that its presenting to the immune system

Question 10

How do people gain immunity to malaria?

Answer 10

Overtime, many infections mean that your acquire enough antibodies to still be infected, but have no sx

Question 11

What 3 drugs are available to treat malaria?

Answer 11

Quinine, chloroquine and artemisinin (WHO recommended)