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Malaria Clinical Findings
- The spectrum of malaria stretches from a clinically non-manifested infection, through non-life-threatening malarial episodes to serious life-threatening malaria with cerebral and/or systemic manifestations (organ failure, anaemia) and, in the worst cases, death
- Malaria can manifest as periodic fevers (but not always!):
- P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale: 48 hours, “tertian” fevers - P. malariae: 72 hours, “quartan” fevers - Mild symptoms may include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea
- Asymptomatic malaria cases are seen in holoendemic areas due to “semi-immunity” (“clinical immunity”)
- Pathogenesis may lead to severe normocytic anaemia, hypoglycaemia, splenomegaly, pulmonary oedema, renal failure, shock, cerebral malaria and coma
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