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The Prevalence Of Malaria Among Pregnant Women On Admission In Imo State Specialist Hospital Owerri
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LIFE CYCLE
The life cycle malaria is complex with asexual
reproduction in the mammalian host and sexual reproduction in the
anophelene vector. The female anopheles mosquito carrying malaria
causing-parasites feeds on a human and injects the parasite in the form
of sporozoites into the blood stream. The sporozoites travel to the
liver and invade the liver. Within some days (5-6) the sporozites grow,
divide and produce tens of thousands of merozoites. Some malaria
parasite species remain dormant for extended periods in the liver. The
merozoties exit the liver cells and re-enter blood stream to invade the
red blood cell, it under goes asexual replication and release new formed
merozoites from the red blood cells. Some of the merozoites infected
blood cells instead of replicating asexually, develop into sexual forms
of the parasite called male and female gametocytes that circulate in the
blood stream.
When the mosquito has a blood meal, it ingests the
gametocytes. In the gut, the infected human blood cell burst, releasing
the gametocytes, which develop further into mature sex cell called
gametes. Male and female gametes fuse to form ookinetes which burrow
into the mosquito midgut and form outcasts. Growth and division of each
oocyst produce thousands of active haploid forms called sporozoites
which migrates to the salivary gland of the mosquito waiting for another
round of blood meal (Ter kulie et al 2003)
PATHOGENESIS
During
the life cycle of malaria parasites in human body, Mosquito infects a
person by taking a blood meal. Initially, sporozoite enters the blood
stream and migrate to the liver. They infect liver cells (hepatocytes);
where they multiply into merozoites, rupture the liver cells and escape
back into the blood stream. Then, the merozoites infect red blood cells,
where they develop into ring forms, trophozoites and schizonts which in
turn produce further merozoites. Sexual forms (gametocytes) are also
produced, which if taken up by a mosquito, will infect the host and
continue the life cycle. Malaria develop into too phases-
exoerythrocytic and erythrocytic cycle/phases. Exoerythrocytic has to do
with infection of hepatic or liver cells while erythrocytic phase
entails infection of erythrocytes or red blood cell, the sporozite
migrates to the liver and infects the hepatocytes. It can continue to
multiply without showing any symptoms within 8-30 days (cogsnell, 1992).
EFFECT OF MALARIA INFECTION IN PREGNANCY
There
are many adverse effects of malaria during pregnancy. Pregnant woman
are known to be more prone to contracting malaria than those that are
not pregnant. A women’s immune system is affected during pregnancy. He
becomes much more susceptible to developing malaria which atime even
leads to death of the child before birth or right after delivery
(Steketee, et al, 2001). Some adverse effects of malaria during
pregnancy include:-
Anemia (Maternal and foetal aneinia)
Fever
Altered blood sugar levels
Infection that harms the genitals
Chance of cerebral malaria or other neurological problems
Miscarriages
Still birth
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]A study was made to determine the prevalence of malaria infection among pregnant women on admission in Imo State specialist Hospital Owerri between July to August 2012. Blood samples were collected from the patients and a thick blood film made. The films were stained using parasitological standard procedures. Twenty-five (25) pregnant women in their 1st trimesters had the highest severe parasitaemia with 54.5%. And also primigravidae were also observed to have the highest infection rate with 87. ... Continue reading---
