Can P. vivax cause severe or fatal malaria?
According to the CDC, severe malaria occurs when P. falciparum infections are complicated by serious organ failures or abnormalities in the patient’s blood or metabolism. The manifestations of severe malaria include: • Cerebral malaria, with abnormal behavior, impairment of consciousness, seizures, coma, or other neurologic abnormalities • Severe anemia due to hemolysis (destruction of the red blood cells) • Hemoglobinuria (hemoglobin in the urine) due to hemolysis • Pulmonary edema (fluid buildup in the lungs) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which may occur even after the parasite counts have decreased in response to treatment • Abnormalities in blood coagulation and thrombocytopenia (decrease in blood platelets) • Cardiovascular collapse and shock • Acute kidney failure • Hyperparasitemia, where more than 5% of the red blood cells are infected by malaria parasites • Metabolic acidosis (excessive acidity in the blood and tissue fluids), often in association with hypogly
