Biology Assesment- Infectious and Non Infectious Diseases
Hewlett-Packard Company
2013
Biology Assessment task- 3
Infectious and Non Infectious disease
By Carla Westwood
Question One- Part A
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that causes over 2.7 million deaths per year according to estimates by the World Health Organization. The history of malaria predates humanity, as this ancient disease evolved before humans did. Malaria, a widespread and potentially lethal infectious disease, has afflicted people for much of human history, and has affected settlement patterns. The prevention and treatment of the disease have been investigated in science and medicine for hundreds of years, and, since the discovery of the parasite which causes it, attention has focused on its biology. These studies have continued up to the present day, since no effective Malaria vaccine has yet been developed and many of the older antimalarial drugs are losing effectiveness as the parasite evolves high levels of drug resistance. As malaria remains a major public health problem, causing 250 million cases of fever and approximately one million deaths annually, understanding its history is key. About 3.3 billion people half of the world's population are at risk of malaria. In 2010, there were about 219 million malaria cases (with an uncertainty range of 154 million to 289 million) and an estimated 660 000 malaria deaths (with an uncertainty range of 490 000 to 836 000). Increased prevention and control measures have led to a reduction in malaria mortality rates by more than 25% globally since 2000 and by 33% in the WHO African Region.
The human parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is dangerous not only because it digests the red blood cells haemoglobin, but also because it changes the adhesive properties of the cell it inhabits. This change in turn causes the cell to stick to the walls of blood vessels. It becomes especially dangerous when the infected blood cells stick to the capillaries in the brain, obstructing blood flow, a condition called cerebral
2013
Biology Assessment task- 3
Infectious and Non Infectious disease
By Carla Westwood
Question One- Part A
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that causes over 2.7 million deaths per year according to estimates by the World Health Organization. The history of malaria predates humanity, as this ancient disease evolved before humans did. Malaria, a widespread and potentially lethal infectious disease, has afflicted people for much of human history, and has affected settlement patterns. The prevention and treatment of the disease have been investigated in science and medicine for hundreds of years, and, since the discovery of the parasite which causes it, attention has focused on its biology. These studies have continued up to the present day, since no effective Malaria vaccine has yet been developed and many of the older antimalarial drugs are losing effectiveness as the parasite evolves high levels of drug resistance. As malaria remains a major public health problem, causing 250 million cases of fever and approximately one million deaths annually, understanding its history is key. About 3.3 billion people half of the world's population are at risk of malaria. In 2010, there were about 219 million malaria cases (with an uncertainty range of 154 million to 289 million) and an estimated 660 000 malaria deaths (with an uncertainty range of 490 000 to 836 000). Increased prevention and control measures have led to a reduction in malaria mortality rates by more than 25% globally since 2000 and by 33% in the WHO African Region.
The human parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is dangerous not only because it digests the red blood cells haemoglobin, but also because it changes the adhesive properties of the cell it inhabits. This change in turn causes the cell to stick to the walls of blood vessels. It becomes especially dangerous when the infected blood cells stick to the capillaries in the brain, obstructing blood flow, a condition called cerebral