QUESTION

I was in Lagos, Nigeria and i was bitten. I had stomach ache and diarrhea for a day then back to normal. Just for precaution I checked my blood and the doc said that I have a mild malaria in my blood and he gave me a medicine. If i have malaria can I affect or transmit the malaria to other people like my friends or my wife by the saliva or by any means?

ANSWER

No, you cannot directly transmit malaria to other people. It can only be transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito; as such, while you are recovering from malaria, you should take care not to be bitten by any mosquitoes, because if these mosquitoes then went on to bite someone else, they might get infected with malaria.

Since malaria infects the blood, if large amounts of blood are transferred between people, for example during a blood transfusion, organ transplant or during childbirth, then malaria can sometimes also be transmitted. But under normal circumstances, you can not directly transfer malaria to another person.