Malaria

This digital version describes the pathogenesis of malaria and the major consequences of the parasitism to the vertebrate host. Malaria is one of the oldest infectious diseases of mankind, which still exerts a high burden on human health and society. It is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, and transmitted by Anopheline mosquitoes. Despite several decades of intensive control efforts, malaria remains widely distributed with an estimated 3.3 billion of the world’s population at risk of infection. The malaria life cycle is extremely complex and the blood stage parasites are responsible for all the symptoms and pathology of malaria. Because of this strict association between the parasites and red cells, there are numerous consequences to the host’s blood extending far beyond the direct effect of parasitized RBCs.