QUESTION

If you come in contact with someone who has had malaria can you get it from them?

ANSWER

No. It is not transmissible directly between people. Most transmission of malaria occurs when a mosquito infected with the malaria parasites bites someone, who then may get malaria. In some cases, transfers of organs or large quantities of infected blood (such as during blood transfusion) may also result in transmission, though this is more rare, and screening of blood reduces the probability of it occurring. Malaria can also be transmitted from a mother if she has malaria to her unborn child via the placenta, or via blood during childbirth. This is called congenital malaria.