QUESTION

What does acute malaria mean?

ANSWER

Acute malaria is severe malaria, with major signs of organ dysfunction and/or high level of malarial parasites on blood tests. In endemic areas, young children and pregnant women are at high risk for severe malaria. Older children and adults develop partial immunity after repeated infections; these groups are thus at relatively low risk for severe disease. Travelers to areas where malaria is endemic generally have no previous exposure to malaria parasites and so are at high risk for severe disease.