Which human disease is caused by parasites belonging to the Plasmodium genus that are transmitted by mosquitoes?

Introduction / Context:

Several infectious diseases in humans are caused by different types of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites. One of the best known protozoan diseases is caused by Plasmodium species. It is important for general knowledge and competitive examinations to connect the name of the pathogen with the disease it produces. This question asks which disease is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus, which are spread mainly by mosquitoes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The pathogen mentioned is Plasmodium, a protozoan parasite genus.
• The disease must be a well known human illness associated with mosquito transmission.
• Options include dysentery, malaria, chickenpox, herpes, and dengue fever.
• We assume standard textbook level descriptions of common infectious diseases.

Concept / Approach:

Plasmodium is a protozoan parasite that infects human red blood cells and liver cells. Different species such as Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium malariae cause malaria in humans. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms of malaria include fever with chills, sweating, headache, and anaemia. Dysentery is typically caused by bacteria or amoebae in the intestine, chickenpox and herpes are viral diseases, and dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, not Plasmodium. Therefore, the correct match for Plasmodium infection is malaria.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify Plasmodium as a protozoan parasite known from school level biology. Step 2: Recall that Plasmodium species complete part of their life cycle in humans and part in female Anopheles mosquitoes. Step 3: Match this life cycle with the well known disease malaria, which presents with periodic fever and chills. Step 4: Check that other listed diseases, such as chickenpox and dengue, are caused by viruses and not by Plasmodium. Step 5: Conclude that malaria is the disease caused by Plasmodium parasites.

Verification / Alternative check:

Standard biology textbooks provide detailed diagrams of the Plasmodium life cycle showing stages in human liver, human red blood cells, and the mosquito gut and salivary glands. The caption of these diagrams consistently labels the disease as malaria. Health education materials from organisations that work on tropical diseases describe malaria as a mosquito borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. In contrast, dysentery is described as an intestinal infection, chickenpox as a viral skin disease, herpes as a viral infection, and dengue as a viral fever. These references confirm that malaria is the only correct association with Plasmodium.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A, Dysentery, is usually caused by bacteria like Shigella or protozoa like Entamoeba histolytica, not by Plasmodium. Option C, Chickenpox, is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Option D, Herpes, is a viral disease due to herpes simplex viruses. Option E, Dengue fever, results from infection by the dengue virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, not by Plasmodium parasites.

Common Pitfalls:

Students may confuse different mosquito borne diseases and mistakenly link Plasmodium with dengue, since both involve mosquito bites and fever. Others may remember only that Plasmodium is a parasite but mix it up with other intestinal protozoa. To avoid such errors, it helps to remember a simple association: Plasmodium and Anopheles mosquito lead to malaria, while dengue virus and Aedes mosquito lead to dengue. Creating a small table linking pathogen, vector, and disease can strengthen this memory.

Final Answer:

The disease caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus is Malaria.