Quartan malaria is due to
OR
Your patient shows paroxysms of malaria after every 72 hours. Which species of plasodium will be considered responsible to cause the infection

Options

A. P. vivax
B. P. ovals
C. P. malariae
D. P. falciparum

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Quartan Malaria**: Quartan malaria is characterized by fever episodes that occur every 72 hours. This means that the patient will experience a paroxysm (an attack or sudden increase) of fever every three days.

2. **Identifying the Plasmodium Species**: To determine which species of Plasmodium causes quartan malaria, we need to review the different species of Plasmodium and their associated fever patterns:
- **Plasmodium malariae**: Causes quartan malaria with fever occurring every 72 hours.
- **Plasmodium vivax**: Causes tertian malaria with fever occurring every 48 hours.
- **Plasmodium ovale**: Also causes tertian malaria with fever every 48 hours.
- **Plasmodium falciparum**: Typically causes quotidian or tertian malaria, but its fever pattern can be variable.

3. **Conclusion**: Since the question specifies that the patient shows paroxysms of malaria every 72 hours, the responsible species of Plasmodium for this type of malaria is **Plasmodium malariae**.

**Final Answer**: Quartan malaria is due to **Plasmodium malariae**.

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