QUESTION:

What does malaria cause?

ANSWER:

Malaria is a disease. It is caused by tiny single-celled parasites called Plasmodium, which are transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. There are many symptoms that occur as a result of infection with malaria, namely fever, chills, headaches and nausea, among others. Malaria can be a very serious disease, especially if not treated promptly, and so when spending time in malaria-infection areas (such as many areas of low to moderate elevation in the tropics and sub-tropics) precautions should be taken to avoid mosquito bites and thus infection. If a person finds themselves suffering from some of the above symptoms after being in a malaria transmission region, it is crucially important they get diagnosed straight away; if they do indeed have malaria, then they can be given treatment to facilitate a quick and safe recovery.