Malaria (mechanism of disease)

This is a mechanism of disease map for malaria, covering the etiology, life cycle, pathophysiology, and manifestations.

ADDITIONAL TAGS:
Occurring after 7-30
day incubation period
Sexual development in female Anopheles mosquito
Asexual development in humans
Risk factors / SDOH
Cell / tissue damage
Structural factors
Malaria
Medicine / nosocomial
Infectious / vector
Biochem / molecular bio
Immunology / inflammation
Signs / symptoms
Tests / imaging / labs
Metabolic / hormonal
Genetics / hereditary
Flow physiology
Pathophysiology
Etiology
Mosquito injects Plasmodium sporozoite into humans
Manifestations
Sporozoites travel through the bloodstream to the liver of the human
Sporozoites enter hepatocytes and multiply asexually forming schizonts containing thousands of merozoites
Merozoites enter red blood cells
Merozoites mature to trophozoites (feeding stage), forming red cell schizonts, and replicating
Some merozoites differentiate into gametocytes (for sexual development)
Bite from female Anopheles mosquito
Mosquito ingests Plasmodium gametocyte from humans
Gametocyte mature into sporozoites in mosquito intestines
Sporozoites migrate to mosquito salivary glands
Carrier of sickle cell mutation
Altered or no Duffy antigen
Living in or travel to endemic regions (tropical areas of Africa, Asia. Central and S America
Mosquito nets
Protective clothing
Repellent (DEET)
High fever (+/- spiking at regular intervals)
Diaphoresis
Headache
Chills, night sweats
Nausea, vomiting
Hepatosplenomegaly
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Jaundice
Hemolytic anemia
Bleeding
Hallucinations
Confusion
Destruction of RBCs
Thrombocytopenia: ↓ plts
Weakness
Paleness
Dizziness
Impaired consciousness
Severe: seizures, coma
Thin blood smear microscopy: Schuffner granules (fine, brick-red dots within RBCs); thick, dark purple ring‑shaped inclusions (immature trophozoite); Ameboid ring (mature trophozoite; irregular round, ameboid → conglomerate (schizont)
Rapid diagnostic test for malarial Ag
↓ Hb, ↓ haptoglobin, ↑ LDH, ↑ indirect bilirubin, ↑ reticulocytes
↑ LFTs
Plasmodium falciparum: virulent, severe disease; Africa
P. vivax: milder dz; outside Africa (SE Asia)
P. ovale, P. malariae: less common, milder disease
P. knowlesi: SE Asia; severe malaria; +/- zoonotic