Consider the following statements. 1. Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by Protozoa.

Question

Consider the following statements.

1. Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by Protozoa.

2. Malaria spreads through infected female Anopheles mosquito bites.

3. The R21/Matrix-M vaccine became the first malaria vaccine to achieve WHO prequalification.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 2 only (Correct answer)
3. C. 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer

Option B — 2 only

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 2 only.

Key Points

• Statement 2 is correct — malaria spreads through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• Statement 1 is debated since Plasmodium is now classified under Apicomplexa, not traditional Protozoa.
• Statement 3 is incorrect — the first WHO-prequalified malaria vaccine was RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix, 2021), not R21/Matrix-M.

Additional Information

• Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite — a protozoan — and five species infect humans, of which *P. falciparum* is the most dangerous and *P. vivax* the most widespread in India.
• Only the female Anopheles mosquito transmits it; males feed on nectar and take no blood meal.
• World Malaria Day is 25 April. India's National Framework for Malaria Elimination targets a malaria-free country by 2030.