=====Malaria=====
The 5 species of malaria parasites now known to affect humans differ in their geographic distribution:
^<wrap em>Plasmodium falciparum</wrap> |most common in sub-Saharan Africa and Melanesia (Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) |can cause rapidly progressive and severe illness and death |
^P. vivax |mainly Central and South America, North Africa, the Middle East and within the Indian subcontinent |less severe but treatment for hypnozoites which lie dormant in the liver is necessary to help prevent relapses |
^P. ovale |almost exclusively in West Africa |:::|
^P. malariae |mainly in Africa. | |
^<wrap em>P. knowlesi</wrap> |on the island of Borneo and other parts of South-East Asia |can cause rapidly progressive and severe illness and death |

  *Thick blood smears are more sensitive in detecting malaria parasites because the blood is more concentrated
  *-ve blood smear makes diagnosis of malaria unlikely but non-immune individuals may be symptomatic at very low/indetectable parasite densities, therefore blood smears should be repeated every 12-24/24 x3 before ruling out Dx.
  *Rapid antigen test also available but less sensitive
  *PCR test more sensitive and specific than microscopy


==References include:==
[[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4954250/|management of malaria in adults RCP 2011]]\\ 
https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment/clinicians1.html\\ 
[[https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/malaria/management/management/ |NICE guidelines]]\\ 
{{ :wiki:infection:malaria-cuh-guidelines.docx |CUH Malaria guidelines}}\\