p. falciparum is both the most common and the most severe form of malaria.
which form of malaria is both the most common and the most severe?
p. falciparum
"p. falciparum" is responsible for (almost) all severe human illnesses and deaths due to malaria, in a condition called complicated or severe malaria. complicated malaria occurs more commonly in children under age 5, and sometimes in pregnant women (a condition specifically called pregnancy-associated malaria). women become susceptible to severe malaria during their first pregnancy. susceptibility to severe malaria is reduced in subsequent pregnancies due to increased antibody levels against variant surface antigens that appear on infected erythrocytes. but increased immunity in mother increases susceptibility to malaria in newborn babies.





















































section::::distribution and epidemiology.
plasmodium falciparum
malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by an "anopheles" mosquito to a human host. the parasite that causes malaria belongs to the genus "plasmodium". once infected, malaria can take a wide variety of forms and symptoms. the disease is placed into the uncomplicated category or the severe category. if quickly diagnosed and treated, malaria can be cured. however, some of the more serious symptoms, such as acute kidney failure, severe anemia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome can be fatal if not dealt with swiftly and properly. certain types of "plasmodium" can leave dormant parasites in the liver that can reawaken months or years later, causing additional relapses of the disease. in the "world malaria report" of 2016, the world health organization reported a malaria infection rate of 212 million, 90% of which occurred in the african region. however, malaria infection rates had fallen 21% since 2010 at the time of the report. the who also reported an estimated mortality rate of 429,000 deaths in the year 2015. the malaria mortality rate had fallen 29% globally since 2010. children under 5 contract the malaria disease more easily than others, and in the year 2015, an estimated 303,000 children under the age of 5 were killed by malaria. since the year 2010 however, the mortality rate of children under 5 fell by an estimated 35%.
tropical medicine