Plasmodium

• Plasmodium


  malarial parasites of man
• 4 species of Plasmodium

  • P. malariae
  • P. vivax
  • P. falciparum
  • P. ovale
• Sporogony


  sexual stage of Plasmodium
• Schizogony


  asexual stage of Plasmodium
• Microgametocyte is... Male or female?

  Male
• Macrogametocyte is... Male or female?

  Female
• Trophozoite


  • earliest stage w/ one nucleus living inside the RBC
  • ring-shaped with red chromatin dot
  • bluish cytoplasm
  • stained by giemsa or wright's stain
• Schizont


  • 8-24 nuclei
  • Each nucleus enclosed by some cytoplasm forming a meroziotes
• Gametocytes


  • sexual forms
  • with one large compact round/elongated nucleus
• Plasmodium falciparum


  also known as Malignant tertian malaria
• dots ofPlasmodium falciparum

  Maurer's dot
• Plasmodium falciparum


  • most prevalent
  • most severe form of malaria
  • causes black water fever malaria
• Plasmodium falciparum

  
  

  Gametocyte: crescent shaped

  Pigment: Maurer's dot

  Stages in Peripheral blood: Ringform and gametocyte

  Length of asexual cycle: 48 hrs.

  Nuclei: 8 - 24
• Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale


  also known as Benign tertian malaria
• Plasmodium vivax


  Schuffner's dot
• Plasmodium vivax


  • second common malaria in the Phil.
  • More common in temperate than tropical region
• Plasmodium vivax


  • ameboid troph

  stages in peripheral blood: all

  length of asexual cycle: 48 hrs

  nuclei: 12 - 24
• Plasmodium ovale


  • least common malaria affecting man
• Plasmodium ovale


  James dots
• Plasmodium ovale


  • commet forms
  • enlarged RBC
  • 8 nuclei
• Plasmodium malariae


  also known as Quartan malaria
• Plasmodium malariae


  • occasionally seen in the Phil
  • similar range as P. falciparum, but less common
• Plasmodium malariae


  • band form trophozoites
  • rosette schizonts
  • 6 - 12 nuclei
• 2 hosts of Plasmodium

  • vertebrate (man - intermediate host)
  • mosquito ( definitive host )
• In man, asexual cycle happens (schizogony )
• in mosquito, sexual cycle happens (sporogony)
• Incubation period of Plasmodium (8 - 40 days depends on specie)

  P. falciparum - 8 - 15 days

  P. vivax - 12 - 20 days

  P. ovale - 11 - 16 days

  P. malariae - 18 - 40 days
• Malarial paroxysm

  • acute febrile attacks
  • occur at the end of schizogonic cycle
• 3 stages of Malarial paroxysm

  • Cold stage
  • Hot stage
  • Wet stage
• Cold stage (chill)


  • sudden feeling cold
  • mild shivering
  • violent teeth chattering
  • shaking
  • last for 15 mins to 1 hr
• Hot stage ( fever)


  • temp. to 103f to 106f (39c to 41c)
  • N,V
  • headache
  • delirious
  • last for 2 to 6 hrs
• Wet stage ( sweating)


  • patient perspires
  • temp. lowers over the next 2 to 4 hrs
  • symptoms diminish accordingly
• Interval of attacks

  P. malariae - 72 hrs (paroxysms on 1 and 4 days - kaya quartan malaria)

  P. falciparum - 48 hrs

  P. vivax & P. ovale - paroxysms occur every 3rd day - kaya tertian malaria
• P. falciparum


  it attacks RBC of all ages
• P. ovale and P. vivax


  attacks young erythrocytic RBC
• P. malariae


  attacks old and mature RBC
• Diagnosis for Plasmodium spp.

  blood specimen

  • Thick blood smear - for detection of malarial parasites
  • Thin blood smear - for specie identification

  these 2 are the gold standard
• Quantitative Buffy Coat (QBC)

  • capillary tube coated with acridine orange
  • appear bright green and yellow under fluorescent
• ParaSight F test


  dipstick test for the simple and rapid diagnosis P. falciparum test
• Treatment for Plasmodium spp.

  • Chloroquine