Definitions on Malaria starting with P

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Definitions

Malaria

Below is a directory of terms used to talk about malaria. Most definitions have been taken from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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P

Parasite

Any organism that lives in or on another organism without benefiting the host organism.

Parasitemia

The presence of parasites in the blood. The term can also be used to express the quantity of parasites in the blood (e.g., "a parasitemia of two per cent").

Pathogen

Bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi can cause disease.

Phagocyte

A type of white blood cell that can engulf and destroy foreign organisms, cells and particles. Phagocytes are an important part of the immune system.

Plasmodium

The genus of the parasite that causes malaria, four species of which infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P vivax, P ovale and P malariae.

Platelets

Small, irregularly-shaped bodies in the blood that contain granules. These cells are important components of the blood clotting system.

Polymorphic

Literally meaning having more than one form. In terms of genes it means that there are several variants (alleles) of a particular gene that occur simultaneously in a population.

Presumptive treatment

Treatment of clinically suspected cases without, or prior to, results from confirmatory laboratory tests.

Prophylaxis

See "chemoprophylaxis."

Protozoan

Single-celled organism that can perform all necessary functions of metabolism and reproduction. Some protozoa are free-living, while others, including malaria parasites, parasitise other organisms for their nutrients and life cycle.