Malaria is caused by?

Appeared in: NHM MP Staff Nurse - 2015

Explanation

Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasitic organism belonging to the genus Plasmodium.
These parasites are classified as protozoa, which are unicellular eukaryotic organisms.
The disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
There are several species that infect humans, with Plasmodium falciparum being the most virulent and responsible for most malaria-related deaths.

Option A: Viruses are acellular infectious agents. While some mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya are caused by viruses, malaria is not.
Option B: Fungi are a separate kingdom of organisms. They cause infections like ringworm, athlete's foot, and candidiasis, but not malaria.
Option D: Bacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms that cause a wide range of diseases like tuberculosis, typhoid, and cholera. Malaria is not a bacterial infection.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Causative agent of Malaria as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses are central to managing malaria by recognizing its cyclical fever pattern, administering antimalarial medications on schedule, and monitoring for signs of severe complications like altered consciousness (cerebral malaria) or decreased urine output (renal failure).
Patient education is a key nursing role, focusing on preventive measures such as using insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), applying mosquito repellent, and understanding the importance of completing the full course of antimalarial treatment to prevent relapse and drug resistance.
What if? If a patient with fever has recently traveled to a malaria-endemic region, a nurse should have a high index of suspicion for malaria and ensure that blood smears for parasite detection are obtained promptly, as delayed diagnosis can be fatal.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core of the question, which is to name the type of microorganism that causes malaria.
This is a direct factual recall question common in microbiology and infectious diseases.
Systematically review the options, mentally associating each pathogen type with well-known diseases.
Recall or deduce that malaria is a classic example of a disease caused by a protozoan parasite (Plasmodium).
Eliminate the other options: Virus (e.g., flu, dengue), Fungus (e.g., ringworm), and Bacteria (e.g., tuberculosis, typhoid).

Concept Tested & Keywords

QCyZ81jWy1baSV-CVmrcf9

E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 395-397

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 1801-1803

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart B (pp 202-403 of 604) p. 116-118

Practise the full NHM MP Staff Nurse - 2015

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.