2. Plasmodium
• Plasmodium is a parasitic protozoa
• Causes malaria.
• Plasmodium, which infects red blood
cells in mammals (including humans),
birds, and reptiles, occurs worldwide,
especially in tropical and temperate
zones.
8. Plasmodium have two hosts:
1- A vertebrate host in which reproduction is
asexual (intermediate host):Human
2- A blood-sucking insect, in which sexual
reproduction takes place (definitive host)-
mosquito .
9. -The infective stage(For Human) :
sporozoites.
- The infective stage for the mosquito is
the gametocytes.
In the intermediate host:
-Liver stage: 6 - 14 days.
- Blood stage: 48 - 72 hrs.
- Incubation period: 21 days.
10. Life cycle of Plasmodium
• Divided into 3 stages-
1. Exoerythrocytic stage – in liver of man.
2. Erythrocytic stage- in RBCs of man.
3. Sporogonic stage- in mosquito (female
Anopheles)
15. Hyponozoite Forms
• some EE forms exhibit delayed
replication (ie, dormant)
• merozoites produced months after
initial infection
• only P. vivax and P. ovale
relapse = hypnozoite
recrudescence = subpatentt
17. Erythrocytic Schizogony
• Nuclear division-begin
schizont stage
• 6-40 nuclei
• budding merozoites
• erythrocyte rupture
releases merozoites
• characterized by acute
febrile attacks (malaria
paroxysms)
• Causes periodic episodes of
fever alternating with
symptom-free periods
18. Malaria
Paroxysm
• paroxysms associated with
synchrony of merozoite
release
• between paroxysms temper-ature
is normal and patient
feels well
• falciparum may not exhibit
classic paroxysms
(continuous fever)
tertian malaria
quartan malaria
20. Gametogenesis
• occurs in mosquito gut
• ‘exflagellation’ most
obvious
•8 microgametes
formed
21. Sporogony
•occurs in mosquito (9-21 days)
•fusion of micro and
macrogametes
•zygote ookinete (~24 hr)
•ookinete transverses gut
epithelium ('trans-invasion').
•ookinete oocyst
• between epithelium and
basal lamina
•asexual replication
sporozoites
22. •sporozoites released.
•sporozoites migrate through
hemocoel
•sporozoites 'invade' salivary glands.
•Stored in salivary glands of
mosquito.
•Released into human body when
mosquito bites another person.