By Beverley Mitchell, Source: Inhabitat

malaysia

While not considered the most deadly of the Plasmodium species – that dubious honor is reserved for P. falciparum, P. knowlesi is notable and worrying for the speed at which it replicates – just 24 hours. In contrast, P. falciparum replicates in 48 hours, and P. malariae in 72 hours. This makes it very hard for doctors to test and diagnose patients in time, before the disease has taken too firm a hold. It also allows the disease to spread more rapidly. To make matters worse, the mosquito vectors for P. knowlesi are active during the day and outdoors. This makes current methods for combating other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue ineffective, as they are transmitted by mosquitoes that prefer dark interiors.

Read more at: Inhabitat