A 63 year-old international telecommunications executive visits your office with complaints of a high fever. The fever is not constant, but intermittent. When you press him for details he estimates that every three days or so he suffers these debilitating "sweats." followed by "chills" He usually has headaches and muscle aches during the episodes. They keep him home from work. He reports that he has been experiencing these episodes for about two months.

1. What is the name of the condition you suspect?

2. What should be your first question about the patient's history?

3. What is the most likely causative organism (genus and species)? 

4. Is this pathogen eukaryotic or prokaryotic

5. Which is the most dangerous of the species that can cause this disease?

6. What are the two main places in the human body that are exploited by the causative organism of this disease/

7. Can this individual transmit this infection to others? Why or why not?

Answer:

1) What is the name of the condition you suspect?
Malaria
Justification: Recurrent sweat and chilling cycles are characteristic of malaria disease.

2) What should be your first question about the patient's history?
Where have you traveled?
Justification: traveling is a major cause of infection.

3) What is the most likely causative organism (genus and species)?
Genus: Plasmodium malariae
Justification: P. malariae as the observed cycle span is 3 days. If the span is 24 h, then the species will be P. vivax
4) Is this pathogen prokaryotic or eukaryotic?

Eukaryotic.

Justification: Belongs to Phylum Protozoa of Kingdom Eukarya

5) Which is the most dangerous of the species that can cause this disease?

P. falcifarum

Justification: P. falcifarum causes severe malaria whereas other species cause mild malaria

6) What are the two main places in the human body that are exploited by the causative organism of the disease?

Liver and Red blood cells

Justification: Liver cells Red blood cells are the prominent sites for asexual reproduction and infection.

7) Can this individual transmit this infection to others? Why or why not

Yes, the infection can be transmitted. It takes place with the aid of anopheles mosquito