Immunity

Immunity to Malaria

Acquired immunity plays an important role in malaria. This is based on the following observations:

People that become infected get cured, but remain suceptible to new infections
Young children and foreigners become more ill than indigenous people
People leaving a malaria area become susceptible to the disease again

Both humural and cellular immunity is involved in the process of acquired immunity

Humural response
- gamma globulines from immune Africans protect non-immune individuals
- antibodies protect against sporozoites before they enter the hepatocytes
Cellular response
- macrophages in liver and spleen are highly activated
- T-cells have been shown to be important

Led by these observations the scientific community as well as pharmaceutical industry has decided to develop a vaccine as protection against malaria. A complete protection can probably not, or not easily, be obtained in view of the observations described above. However, a vaccine may significantly reduce morbidity caused by the disease amongst young children and travellers.

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Last updated: 2 December 1997

created by :Fred Opperdoes