Anti-Malarial Drugs
Malaria is the worlds most important parasitic disease
Results in characteristic febrile illness in which circulating red blood cells are
haemolysed by protozoan parasites
Plasmodium falciparum is the most common plasmodium species and causes
severe morbidity and mortality (95% of malaria deaths)
Plasmodium species:
1) Falciparum – causes malignant tertian malaria
- 50% of cases and 95% of deaths
- no dormant parasites
2) Vivax/Ovale – moderate benign tertian malaria
- Dormant liver infections
3) Malariae – mild quartan malaria
- Long-term dormant liver parasites
Tertian malaria: fever on FIRST and THIRD days (‘every 2 days’)
Quartan malaria: fever on FIRST and FORTH days (‘every 3 days’)
Malaria is the worlds most important parasitic disease
Results in characteristic febrile illness in which circulating red blood cells are
haemolysed by protozoan parasites
Plasmodium falciparum is the most common plasmodium species and causes
severe morbidity and mortality (95% of malaria deaths)
Plasmodium species:
1) Falciparum – causes malignant tertian malaria
- 50% of cases and 95% of deaths
- no dormant parasites
2) Vivax/Ovale – moderate benign tertian malaria
- Dormant liver infections
3) Malariae – mild quartan malaria
- Long-term dormant liver parasites
Tertian malaria: fever on FIRST and THIRD days (‘every 2 days’)
Quartan malaria: fever on FIRST and FORTH days (‘every 3 days’)
