Cerebral malaria kills 1 out of 5 children that suffer from it, and causes long-term disabilities in half of the survivors. Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which reproduces in our red blood cells and then breaks out of them to continue infecting new cells. Once the parasite makes it to the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a structure that protects the brain from harmful substances, it is able to damage it, causing severe complications.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
