Malaria is a mosquito borne infection caused by Plasmodium, a blood parasite. There are One hundred and fifty six species of this genus found world-wide. However, four amongst them -- the P. vivax, P. malariae, P. falciparum and P. ovale -- are known to be human parasites. Anopheles mosquito acts as a carrier for this parasite and helps to transmit these in human body when biting or sucking human blood. Malaria is commonly seen in all subtropical and tropical regions where anopheles mosquitoes are found.

A patient suffering from malaria suffers predominantly from chills and fever. Other symptoms like diarrhea, joint and muscle pain, vomiting and weakness and headache may also occur. Sometimes malaria can get fatal in cases where patient suffers from respiratory distress, renal failure, failure of the central nervous system and anemia.

When plasmodium sporozoites are passed into the bloodstream of a human host due to the female anopheles mosquito bite, the first phase of infection is introduced in the host body. The initial infection is categorized under two separate stages, namely the liver stage followed by the blood stage.

In the liver stage, the sporozoites start infecting the liver cells. They eventually mature as cell capsules known as schizonts and rupture releasing merozoites, which multiply inside the liver. In certain forms of malaria a dormant parasite called hypnozites may continue to survive inside the liver and cause relapses weeks and sometimes even after many years.

Ultimately the red blood cells get infected by the merozoites. Inside these cells they become trophozoites that mature to form schizonts rupturing and releasing many more merozoites that infect other blood cells. Few of the trophozoites grow to form gametocytes that the female mosquito injests while sucking blood.

The mosquito stage or the sporogonic cycle is a stage when both female and male mosquitoes come and form a zygote with the ingested gametocytes. These ultimately become ookinetes, a motile parasite that travel to the mid-gut wall of the mosquito and transform to oocysts. Oocysts grow, rupture and release sporozites that move into the salivary glands of the mosquito. When the infected mosquito bites anyone, the infection cycle starts all over again.

Malaria is diagnosed by taking a fresh blood sample and observing it for plasmodium parasite. The approaches for treating different kinds of plasmodium are not the same so identifying the specific type of plasmodium correctly is the key to a good diagnosis. Blood tests done for antigens can also diagnose this illness.

Chloroquine is the drug used when treating malaria. Some plasmodium chloroquine-resistant strains are may be treated using tetracycline, atovaquone-proguanil, clindamycin or quinine sulfate, and doxycycline.

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