Description

Parasitic infections are still one of the major health threats in the whole world. Malaria is a major parasitic disease, caused by a protozoan parasite of genus Plasmodium, affecting over 100 countries of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world including South-East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Around 300-500 million clinical cases of malaria are reported every year, and 1-3 million deaths due to complicated cases of malaria. As the available data shows that children are affected more by the disease. As per an estimate every 40 seconds a child dies of malaria. Apart from the loss of human lives, malaria is also responsible for the economic burden on the affected countries. Situation is getting worse with the emergence of multidrug resistant parasites. The four identified species of the parasite responsible for human malaria are Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. Of these, P. falciparum and P. vivax account for more than 95% of malaria cases in the world. The female anopheles mosquito transmits malaria parasites. Malaria is reemerging as the biggest infectious killer and is currently the first priority tropical disease of the WHO.