What is malaria?

Malaria is a serious disease that causes a fever and other flu-like symptoms. You can get it from a bite by an infected mosquito. Malaria is rare in the United States. It is found in over 90 countries around the world, mainly in Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, and Central America. The risk of malaria is highest in parts of Oceania and in sub-Saharan Africa.

What causes malaria?

Malaria is caused by a bite from a mosquito infected with parasites. You cannot get malaria just by being near a person who has the disease.

What are the symptoms?

Most malaria infections cause a fever and flu-like symptoms, such as chills and muscle pain. Symptoms may come and go in cycles. Some types of malaria may cause more serious problems, such as damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain. These types can be deadly.

How is malaria diagnosed?

Your doctor will order blood tests to check for malaria.

How is it treated?

Medicines usually can treat the illness. But some malaria parasites may survive because they are in your liver or they are resistant to the medicine.

How is malaria prevented?

You may be able to prevent malaria by taking medicine Like Larinate, Lumerax, Qinarsol before, during, and after travel to an area where malaria is present. But using medicine to prevent malaria doesn't always work. This is partly due to the parasites being resistant to some medicines in some parts of the world. Using insect repellents and mosquito nets also helps prevent malaria.