Question

Sal returned from Africa 12 days prior to his hospital admission. He has been there for 6 months working as a civil engineer building roads in Rwanda, Zaire and Uganda. A week before, Sal began suffering with chills, cough and myalgia. Three days ago, he had episodes of fevers and chills, three times a day. On admission, Sal is stuporous and shows mental changes. Blood work shows lowered WBC and platelet counts. His hematocrit value is about half the normal level and his bleeding times are very prolonged. A sporozoan parasite is recovered from the blood, showing a characteristic “ring form.” Despite treatment, Sal eventually became comatose and died.

A. What was wrong with Sal? Give your thinking about how you got to your answer, including the genus and species.

B. Of what significance are the mental changes?

C. How could Sal’s condition have been prevented?

D. Describe two ways to prevent the transmission of this disease.

Answer 1

A. Sal might have contracted Malaria by Plasmodium falciparum. Ring forms are seen in only falciparum malaria. Sporozoites are characteristic of Plasmodium.

B. The mental changes are of great significance. It indicates cerebral malaria. In cerebral malaria, the RBC which are infected with the parasite block the cappillary vessels of the brain and obstruct blood supply which may lead to coma and death.

C. Antimalarial drugs administered intravenously could have been prevented her condition becoming worse.

D. Malaria transmission can be prevented by controling mosquito population. Mosquito poulation in urban areas can be lowered by keeping the surroundings clean, preventing water from standing as they are bredding places for mosquitoes. Use of mosquito repellents to prevent mosquito bite.