Disease
Fact Sheet Series:
Malaria
(Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae,
Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium ovale)
|
Printable
Version (PDF, 13 KB)
Spanish
(PDF, 14 KB) |
What is malaria?
Malaria is a serious disease caused by a microscopic parasite that
affects red blood cells. There are four species of malaria parasite: Plasmodium
falciparum, P. malariae, P. vivax, and P. ovale.
The severity of disease depends on the species of Plasmodium causing
the infection.
Who gets malaria?
Any person can get malaria if they are bitten by a mosquito in a
region where malaria occurs. Almost all cases in the U.S. are acquired
during travel to other countries.
How is malaria spread?
The malaria parasite is carried by infected humans in their
bloodstream. Malaria is spread when a mosquito ingests blood from an
infected person. The malaria parasite develops into an infective stage
within the mosquito and later is injected into another person when that
infected mosquito feeds again.
Malaria can also be acquired by receiving a blood
transfusion from an infected donor, and by the sharing of contaminated
syringes. Rarely, the parasite can be passed on to infants born to
infected mothers.
What are the symptoms of malaria?
Malaria is a
disease commonly characterized by fever, chills, headache, and sweating.
Depending upon the species, severe illness may take on a variety of
illnesses, including coma and death. Infants may also acquire the disease
at birth. The infected person may also develop relapses throughout their
life.
How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?
The appearance of symptoms is dependent on the species of Plasmodium
but can vary from 7 days to 10 months.
Where is malaria found?
Malaria is common in most developing countries. Travelers to Central
and South America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, India, Southeast
Asia, the Middle East and South Pacific are especially at risk.
Do infected people need to be isolated or excluded from
work or school?
Patients with malaria need not be excluded from work. Persons who have
had malaria should not donate blood ever during their lives.
Can malaria be treated?
Patients with malaria should immediately seek medical
attention. Malaria can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but
infections caused by P. falciparum can cause more severe infections
and can be harder to treat.
How can malaria be prevented?
Although there is no vaccine currently available against malaria,
there are oral drugs that can prevent travelers from getting infected
while visiting areas in which malaria is common. Travelers to such areas
can further protect themselves by using anti-mosquito measures such as
mosquito netting and insect repellents.
It is very important for any person traveling to areas where malaria occurs to consult with
their physician about the current recommendations for preventive
medications against the disease. Information about the occurrence of
malaria in various parts of the world and about the most effective
preventive drugs can be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) homepage on the internet www.cdc.gov (Exit
DHFS), your physician,
and local and state health departments.
For more information, contact your
Local
Public Health Department
Back to Communicable Disease
Fact Sheet Series Index Page
PDF: The free Acrobat Reader®
software is needed to view and print portable document format (PDF) files.
Learn more
Last Revised: March 20, 2008
|
