The following questions refer to the description below.
Malaria is a global health problem in over 100 countries, killing about one million people every year. The protist, Plasmodium, that causes malaria lives in 2 hosts, mosquitoes and humans. Malaria is transmitted to humans by the Anopholes mosquito.
-A friend of yours has just returned from central Africa and has told you that she is sick with malaria. You know your friend took an anti-malaria medication before she left on her trip. How can you explain why your friend contracted malaria?
A)Your friend has likely picked up a new pathogen which is making her sick.
B)Your friend had taken anti-malaria medication, but the Plasmodium parasite was resistant to this drug.
C)The medication suppressed your friend's immune system.
D)Your friend is immune to the medication she took.
E)Your friend should have chosen a vaccine instead of drugs because vaccines work for a longer period of time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Anti-malaria medications can only target specific strains of the Plasmodium parasite, and some strains may have developed resistance to certain drugs. Therefore, it is possible that your friend contracted malaria because the strain of Plasmodium that infected her was resistant to the anti-malaria medication she took.

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