One assignment and two discussions

Bolaji Ogunwuyi 

Module-8

COLLAPSE

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                                                                              Malaria

                                                                              Module-8

Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It’s typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites, the parasite is released into human bloodstream.

Cause

The Vector: anopheles mosquito

Mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus are the vectors of the Plasmodium species, the causative agents of malarial disease. 

Malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium. Human malaria is caused by four different species of Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax.

Humans occasionally become infected with Plasmodium species that normally infect animals, such as P. knowlesi. As yet, there are no reports of human-mosquito human transmission of such zoonotic forms of malaria.

Transmission

The malaria parasite is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly between dusk and dawn.

Controlling malaria is important not only because of the human misery the disease causes, but also due to its economic burden, which creates further human misery. One of the most effective ways of controlling malaria is the targeted use of residual insecticides. When sprayed on the inside walls of dwellings, these insecticides kill the adult Anopheles mosquito that transmits the malaria parasite. Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) programs eradicated malaria dramatically reducing malaria in many other parts of the world. One of the most effective insecticides for IRS programs is dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT. DDT is one of 12 pesticides recommended by the WHO for indoor residual spray programs, Programmatic evidence shows that correct and timely use of indoor residual spraying can reduce malaria transmission by up to 90 percent, but all necessary WHO , EPA recommendations and guidelines must be followed. There are also compelling reasons why we should use DDT for malaria, however, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has supported limited use of DDT for such health purposes. Malaria is most common in poorer nations, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, so DDT is an attractive choice as a relatively inexpensive insecticide. The climates in these regions also lend themselves to faster degradation of the chemical, reducing its persistence. When so many people are dying of malaria, many DDT supporters cannot see any justification for not fighting the disease with whatever tools available.

  

                                                                   References.

 

Friis, R. H. (2018). Essentials of Environmental Health (Essential Public Health). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Keller, S. (2010, December 20). DDT Controversy in the Debate on Safe and Effective Malaria Vector Control. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1728750

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Shelby Cole 

Cole - Module 8

COLLAPSE

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Malaria is a disease caused by protozoa. There are four species, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae, with P. Falciparum being the most deadly. Malaria is transmitted through a vector, the Anopheles Mosquito. The pathway for transmission can be both from mosquito to humans and human to mosquito. When an infected mosquito bites a human, the protozoa then invades the human, affecting the liver and then the blood. When the parasite is in the human blood, it can be transmitted to an unaffected mosquito when it bites the human and consumes the infected blood. Symptoms of malaria include fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, GI symptoms, and in very severe cases seizures, coma, and death. 

One of the things that can be used to control malaria is the synthetic pesticide DDT. However, I do not think it is justified to use this type of insecticide, even in endemic areas. DDT was shown to create resistance in the mosquitoes, while also being toxic to surrounding environment and animals. If by using the insecticide, you make the mosquitoes resistant, it will just be harder to find effective remedies int he future. Additionally, to use a product that damages the environment, particularly in areas that are underdeveloped and facing many challenges with health, safety, and development, the use of a damaging product like this could only set them back further, or have unforeseen long-term health effects. It would be better to just use some of the other available options for both chemical (insecticide), and non chemical means of preventing the spread of malaria

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