QUESTION

What are the symptoms of malaria?

ANSWER

The symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Infection with one type of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, if not promptly treated, may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. Since the early symptoms of malaria are very similar to many other conditions, including flu and the common cold, if you live in a malaria area it is important not to ignore these symptoms but to seek medical help and have a blood test to check for malaria early on.