**9. Conclusion**

Malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is a problem of dimensions unlike malaria seen anywhere else in the world today [13]. The magnitude of malaria is affected by a variety of factors, none of which addressed alone is likely to effect a resolution. It is further compounded by the generally poor social and economic conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria could be brought under control in sub-Saharan Africa as it has been in Europe and America. Instead, it is being allowed to run out of control just like the AIDS epidemic because of the indifference of Western governments to the lives of the poorest people on the planet [15].

Poor people who represent most of the continent's malaria disease burden cannot afford to pay much more than what they currently pay for the old treatments, so costs must be subsidized by national governments with the help of international donors. What is missing

**1. Introduction** 

described.[1]

**2. History** 

**3. Biology** 

**2** 

John C. Igweh

*Nigeria* 

**Biology of Malaria Parasites** 

*Plasmodium* is a genus of parasitic protists. Infection by these organisms in known as malaria. The genus *plasmodium* was described in 1885 by Ettore Marchiafava and Angelo Celli. Currently over 200 species of this genus are recognized and new species continue to be

Of the over 200 known species of *plasmodium.* At least 11 species infect humans. Other species infect other animals, including monkeys, rodents, and reptiles. The parasite always

The organism itself was first seen by Lavern on November 6, 1880 at a military hospital in Constantine, Algeria, when he discovered a microgametocyte exflagellating. In 1885, similar organisms were discovered within the blood of birds in Russia. There was brief speculation that birds might be involved in the transmission of malaria; in 1894 Patrick Manson hypothesized that mosquito could transmit malaria. This hypothesis was independently confirmed by the Italian physician Giovanni Battista Grassi working in Italy and the British physician Ronald Ross working in India, both in 1898. [3] Ross demonstrated the existence of *Plasmodium* in the wall of the midgut and salivary glands of a Culex mosquito using bird species as the vertebrate host. For this discovery he won the Noble Prize in 1902. Grassi showed that human malaria could only be transmitted by *Anopheles* mosquito. It is worth

The genome of four *plasmodium* species – *plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium knowlest, Plasmodium vivax* and *Plasmodium yoelii* – have been sequenced. All these species have genomes of about 25 megabase organized into 14 chromosomes consistent with earlier estimates. The chromosomes vary in length from 500 kilobases to 3.5 megabases and it is

has two hosts in its life cycle: a mosquito vector and a vertebrate host.[2]

noting, however, that for some species the vector may not be mosquito.[4]

presumed that this is the pattern throughout the genus.[5]

• Merogony occur both in erythrocytes and other tissues

**4. Diagnostic characteristics of the genus** *Plasmodium*

*Delta State University, Abraka Nigeria,* 

is political will. Unless this situation changes, people will continue to die needlessly from taking drugs that no longer work.

Malaria has therefore remained a deadly scourge and pending problem in Africa and is a yet to be conquered disease.

#### **10. References**

	- http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/
