# Blood Destruction (DD-395)

> Malaria still causes hundreds of thousands of deaths a year, about 95% of them in the WHO African Region. Ronald Ross's proof of the mosquito cycle won the 1902 Nobel Prize, inherited traits like sickle cell show how the disease has shaped human genes, and two vaccines are now in use.

- Department: Science
- First published: 2024-11-27
- Last updated: 2024-11-27
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/blood-destruction/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-395-F01**: Plasmodium parasites. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (The current toll))_
- **DD-395-F02**: Female Anopheles mosquitoes. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Nobel-winning detective work))_

## Write-up

Malaria remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases, concentrated overwhelmingly in Africa, and its long fight with humans has reshaped both medicine and the human genome.

1. **The current toll**: In 2024 an estimated 282 million malaria cases worldwide led to about 610,000 deaths, and the WHO African Region accounted for about 94% of cases and 95% of deaths.
2. **Nobel-winning detective work**: Ronald Ross proved the parasite's life cycle in mosquitoes in 1897 in Calcutta and received the 1902 Nobel Prize, while Tu Youyou received the 2015 Nobel Prize for her work on malaria.
3. **Written in our genes**: Several inherited traits give some resistance to malaria, including sickle cell trait, thalassaemia traits, G6PD deficiency and the absence of Duffy antigens on red blood cells.
4. **Two vaccines in use**: As of February 2026, two malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M, had completed clinical trials and were in use, with R21 showing 77% efficacy in initial trials.

## Related case files

- [Blood Destruction II (DD-598)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/blood-destruction-ii/): I linked the second part of the Blood Destruction series, on how viper venom attacks blood and blood vessels
- [Sickled Cells (DD-613)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/sickled-cells/): I linked more blood cells

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: Blood Destruction: Malaria Spreads Through the Bite of Infected Female Anopheles Mosquitoes

- Duration: 25.5 s · Published: 2024-11-27
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DC5smpfucJT.mp4

### Transcript

Did you know? Mosquitoes transmit malaria through the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. When the mosquito bites a human, it injects saliva containing the plasmodium parasite into the bloodstream. The parasite travels to the liver, where it matures and multiplies, before re-entering the bloodstream to infect red blood cells. This cycle causes the destruction of red blood cells, leading to symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, and muscle pain. Severe cases can result in organ failure, anemia, or even death. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: What causes malaria?**  
A: Protozoa. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The current toll) · Wikipedia: Malaria)_

**Q: Which mosquitoes spread it?**  
A: Vector. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Nobel-winning detective work) · Wikipedia: Malaria)_

**Q: Where do parasites go first?**  
A: Multiply. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The current toll) · Wikipedia: Malaria)_

**Q: What cells do they destroy?**  
A: Bloodstream. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Written in our genes) · Wikipedia: Malaria)_

**Q: A common symptom?**  
A: Cyclic. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The current toll) · Wikipedia: Malaria)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Malaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Blood Destruction." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-395, last updated Nov 27, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/blood-destruction/