Plasmodium falciparum

As one of the “big three” global infectious diseases, malaria is spreading at an alarming rate. That being said, what are some of the biological, social, economic, and ecological factors that influence malaria? These factors are addressed by Jeffrey Sachs and Pia Malaney in their article “The Economic and Social Burden of Malaria” as well as by Randall Packard in the first chapter of The Making of a Tropical Disease. While Sachs and Malaney primarily focus on the economic, social, and…

During the “Controlling Chagas in the Southern Cone of South America” case study, my main responsibility and role was in constructing the Powerpoint Presentation with one other member. I began the project initially by reading the case study, “Controlling Chagas in the Southern Cone of South America”, in the textbook “Case Studies in Global Health: Millions Saved” by Ruth Levine. The case study gave me a broad yet detailed overview of the Chagas disease, control and elimination efforts over the…

Robert S. Desowitz tells the story of two well-known diseases that affect many rural villagers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America of his novel The Malaria Capers. The first section of the book deals with Kala azar, which is transmitted by a fly. Desowitz begins the novel by introducing a tragic story in India of a distressed mother with a sick child. She traveled miles from her small village to a clinic, where her daughter was diagnosed with Kala azar or Visceral Leishmaniasis. The child is…

Part 2: Health Issue Paper (A case study on Malaria) Magnitude of Malaria in Nigeria: Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called plasmodium which infects human blood cells (A parasite is an organism that can only exist in the body of another organism for all or part of their life). In Nigeria 98% of malaria infections are due to Plasmodium falciparum. This parasite causes the most deadly form of malaria, known as severe malaria. Other forms of malaria present in Nigeria include P. ovale…

Malaria is one of the most prominent public health epidemic worldwide. It’s the leading cause of death and disease effecting half of the world’s population. According to World Health Origination (2013) 3.2 billion people live in areas at risk of malaria transmission in 106 countries and territories. Vulnerable populations such as rural poor, young children and expecting women who are more exposed to infection with the least access to services are at elevated risk for transmission of this deadly…

Culex quinquefasciatus is a mosquitoe which came from the southern house mosquito. It can be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Below are the informations regarding C. quinquefasciatus: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Culicidae Genus: Culex Species: C. quinquefasciatus The female mosquito has a medium sized body with a brownish appearance. The proboscis is dark but often has a pale scaling midway on the underside. The wings are…

As you ask for a glass of water, you have no hesitation to drink it. The water is guaranteed to be clean. When you hear of a recent outbreak of disease, you breathe calmly. Disease prevention is easily accessible. The United States, within its glass bubble, consists of sanitary water accommodations and medical assistance, which is available for most citizens. Additionally, the United States is consistently looking for more ways to improve. One may ask, what is outside of the glass bubble?…

Is the new virus, Zika, a pressing threat to America? The dangerous pandemic of the Zika infection contamination in South and Central America is the latest of four startling landings of vital arthropod-borne viral maladies in the Western Hemisphere in the course of recent years (Fauci). The primary concern is South and Central America’s inability to contain the Zika virus causes it to be an eminent threat spreading to North America. The rapid spread of this virus is a pressing threat to…

Malaria is one of the most widespread, serious, and dangerous illnesses that affect a huge population, especially in the Sub Saharan Africa region. [1] Malaria causes more than 250 million infections and nearly 1 million deaths annually, with 90% of fatal cases occurring in infants and children, typically in sub-Saharan Africa. Considering the high percentage of infected people, interventions towards preventing malaria need to occur. Genetically modified mosquitoes are one way to prevent malaria…

As we know, the mummy of Egypt's famed King Tutankhamun has taken an extensive study over his death. People tried to solve the mysteries of his death through the mummy. The young ruler's life was short and he might died because of some unknown diseases. Scientists were already spending two years on the mummy of Tuts by conducting DNA testing and CT scans. Compare to other mummies, the King Tut did not have a Marfan Syndrome, but he was not a healthy man either. The research shows that Tut…