Kochi, December 10: Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Thursday said Plasmodium ovale, a new genus of malaria has been detected in the state. A Duran-return soldier was found to be infected with plasmodium ovale. Preventive measures and treatment can stop the spread of this malaria infection, KK Shailaja added. Kerala Municipal Elections 2020: Wearing PPE Kits, COVID-19 Positive Voters Cast Vote, See Pics.

"Plasmodium oval, a new genus of malaria was detected in Kerala. It was found in a soldier who was being treated at the district hospital in Kannur. The soldier had come from Sudan. The spread of the disease can be avoided with timely treatment and preventive measures," the state health minister said. Kerala: 103-Year-Old Man Recovers From COVID-19 in Ernakulam.

KK Shailaja Informs About Plasmodium Ovale:

What is Plasmodium Ovale?

Plasmodium ovale is a species of parasitic protozoa that is responsible for tertian malaria in humans. Like Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, it is one of several species of Plasmodium parasites that infect humans. It is substantially less dangerous than P. falciparum. An infected person shows symptoms 12 to 20 days after the parasite entered the blood.

The detection of a new genus of malaria comes at a time when Kerala is battling the coronavirus outbreak. Presently, there are 59,517 active cases in Kerala. The state has reported 2,533 fatalities due to COVID-19 so far. On a positive note, 5,91,845 people have recovered so far.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2020 09:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).