1PhD scholar1, Department of Zoology and Advance Biotechnology, Govt Arts College, Nandanam, Madras University, Chennai
2Assistant Professor, Dept of Community Medicine, PIMS, Pondicherry
3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Dept. of Zoology and Advance Biotechnology, Govt Arts College, Chennai
4Post graduate, Dept of Physiology, PIMS, Pondicherry
5Prof& HOD, Dept of Community Medicine, PIMS, Pondicherry
6Assistant Professor, Dept of Community Medicine, PIMS, Pondicherry
Online published on 11 March, 2014.
Fifth strain of human malaria is plasmodium knowlesi which is mimicking like plasmodium Falciparum and Plasmodium Malariae. It is fatal disease in human which is common in Southeast Asia. The incubation period for P. knowlesi is about 12 days - the shortest known malaria of all the known malarias that infect humans and primates. P knowlesi has a 24 hour asexual cycle and the clinical features are Headache, fever -quotidian, chills and cold sweats, respiratory distress and it extent to renal failure, liver failure. The disease can be treated using already existing anti-malaria therapy such as mefloquine and chloroquine. Chloroquine is specifically preferred for non-complicated infections. Prevention -Stop deforestation and avoid Jungle travelling. The vector for plasmodium knowlesi is anopheles group of mosquito and the reservoir is long tailed monkeys. In Indian context the vector is present in south and northeast part of India and the reservoir is present in Nicobar Islands. There is possibility of fifth strain of human malariae in India.
Plasmodium Knowelsi, Anopheles Leucosphyrus, Long Tailed Macaques