Laboratory diagnostics of malaria

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Laboratorijska dijagnostika malarije
• Author: Eva Margareta Johanna Schloter
• Mentor: Mario Sviben (mentor)
• Committee member: Mario Sviben (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Sunčanica Ljubin Sternak (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Goran Tešović (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2019-07-12, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Medical Microbiology

Abstract

Malaria is a febrile illness, which is common in tropic and sub tropic countries. In more moderate climates, it can be seen in travellers or immigrants coming from endemic regions. Five Plasmodium species causes malaria in humans. The disease is spread by Anopheles mosquitos. Historically, malaria also occurred in Europe, for example in Croatia. Pesticide spraying and others epidemiological preventative methods eliminated malaria in Europe. Diagnosis of malaria is based on detection of Plasmodium parasites in the blood and patient history. Today’s gold standard remains light microscopy of blood smear, mostly with Giemsa stain, by trained and experienced personnel. In endemic countries, it is more difficult to use technical equipment due to scarce resources but staff is more familiar with malaria and Plasmodium microscopy while in non-endemic areas sophisticated technical equipment is easily available but staff does not have enough experience in Plasmodium microscopy. Besides light microscopy, today rapid antigen diagnostic tests and polymerase chain reaction became the mainstay of Plasmodium detection. Methods such as fluorescence microscopy antigen detection and isothermal amplification are under investigation to improve detection and reduce costs to make these methods available in endemic countries with scarce resources.

Abstract (croatian)

Malarija je febrilna bolest, najčešća u tropskim i subtropskim krajevima svijeta. Može se naći i u drugim dijelovima svijeta, no tada se viđa u putnika ili u imigranata koji dolaze iz endemskih područja u kojima je infekcija prisutna. Malariju kod ljudi uzrokuje pet vrsta parazita roda Plasmodium, a kojeg prenosi komarac Anopheles. Malarije je bilo i u Europi, ujedno i u Hrvatskoj, no upotrebom pesticida i drugim epidemiološkim mjerama ista je iskorijenjena. Dijagnostika malarije bazira se na nalazu uzročnika u krvi, a značajna je jako i epideimološka anamneza uzeta od pacijenta. I danas je kao zlatni standard u dijagnostici malarije svjetlosna mikroskopija bojenog mikroskopskog preparata krvi prilikom čega se najčešće koristi bojanje po Giemsi. Za isto je iznimno važno educirano laboratorijsko osoblje. Zbog najviše ekonomskih razloga, osoblje u mikroskopskoj dijagnostici malarije često je puno bolje osposobljeno u zemljama gdje je malarija endemska, nego u krajevima neendemskim za ovu bolest. Uz mikroskopsku dijagnostiku malarije brzi test detekcije antigena i molekularna detekcija polimeraza lančanom reakcijom (PCR) sve više postaju dio rutinske dijagnostike ove infekcije. Metode fluorescentne mikroskopije antigena i izotemalne amplifikacije također se često koriste. Sa širom upotrebom istih, njihova cijena bi trebala postati niža te na taj način te metode i dostupnije u zemljama s limitiranim financijskim sredstvima.

• Keywords: malaria; laboratory diagnostics; plasmodium; light microscopy of blood smear; Giemsa stain
• Keywords (croatian): malarija; laboratorijska dijagnostika; plasmodium; svjetlosna mikroskopija preparata krvi; bojanje po Giemsi
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:925635
• Study programme: Title: Medicine (in English language); Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica medicine (doktor/doktorica medicine)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: Pohranitelj objekta unio ključne riječi.
• Created on: 2020-07-15 11:43:17