Figure 6-1. Life cycle of Plasmodium, the malaria parasite.
6-18. CLASSIFICATION OF ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS
Antimalarial drugs are often classified according to the stage in the life cycle of
the Plasmodium against which they are capable of acting. The categories are the
primary tissue schizonticides, the secondary tissue schizonticides, the blood
schizonticides, the gametocides, and the sporontocides.
a. Antimalarial Drugs Beneficial in the Treatment of Clinical Malaria.
(1) Primary tissue schizonticides. These drugs destroy the primary tissue
schizonts in the liver soon after infection by the mosquito. An example is primaquine.
MD0913
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