Kerala detects rare malaria-causing parasite in soldier

Kerala has reported a rare species of the plasmodium parasite that causes malaria in people. Kerala ‘Plasmodium ovale’ has been detected in the state during the hospitalisation of a soldier, who had recently returned to Kannur from Sudan.

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Key-Points

Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, if the mosquito itself is infected with a malarial parasite.

There are five kinds of malarial parasites — Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax (the commonest ones), Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi.

Plasmodium ovale:

P ovale rarely causes severe illness and there is no need for panic because of the case detected in Kerala.

P ovale is very similar to P vivax, which is not a killer form. Symptoms include fever for 48 hours, headache and nausea, and the treatment modality is the same as it is for a person infected with P vivax. P ovale is no more dangerous than getting a viral infection.

It is termed ovale as about 20% of the parasitised cells are oval in shape.

P ovale malaria is endemic to tropical Western Africa. P ovale is relatively unusual outside of Africa.

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