Page 47 - Medical Parasitology_ A Textbook ( PDFDrive )

6
Malaria Parasites and Babesia

Causative agents of human malaria:

1. Plasmodium vivax
2. Plasmodium falciparum
3. Plasmodium malariae
4. Plasmodium ovale
5. Plasmodium knowlesi

Distribution

Plasmodium vivax is the predominant malaria parasite in most parts of the world.
P. falciparum is mostly confined to the tropics and subtropics. It is well known to
be the fatal form of human malaria and is also known as malignant tertian.
Plasmodium malariae occurs in subtropical and temperate areas. It is less fre-
quently seen than P. vivax or P. falciparum. Plasmodium ovale is confined to
West Africa. Plasmodium knowlesi, a monkey malaria is distributed in Southeast
Asia where the reservoir macaques are prevalent.

Habitat

In human, the parasites are found in the erythrocytes and hepatocytes.

Vectors

Human malaria is transmitted by over 60 species of female Anopheles mosquito.

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017 39
R. Mahmud et al., Medical Parasitology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68795-7_6