What is malaria?

Most malaria infections cause flu-like symptoms that may come and go in cycles. These may include:

• Fever. This is the most common symptom.
• Chills.
• Headache.
• Sweats.
• Fatigue.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Body aches.
• Generally feeling sick.

People who get infected many times may have the disease but have few or no symptoms. How bad malaria symptoms are can vary depending on your age, general health, and the kind of malaria parasite that you have.

In rare cases, malaria can affect the brain or spinal cord and cause seizures or loss of consciousness. The most serious types of malaria infection can be deadly.

The time from when you get infected until symptoms appear is usually 7 to 30 days. But with some infections, signs of illness may not appear for many months.

Malaria is treated with medicine. Your age and health condition are important factors in selecting the medicine. Pregnant people, children, people who are very old, people who have other health problems, and those who didn't take medicine to prevent malaria infection need special consideration.

• If you can, avoid going to areas where malaria is common. Talk to your doctor before you go.
• Prevent mosquito bites when you go to areas where malaria is common.
  • After dark, stay indoors in a screened or air-conditioned room.
  • Wear protective clothing. Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
  • Use an insect repellent with DEET. Experts suggest that repellent with 10% to 30% DEET is safe to use with children older than 2 months. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • Use bed nets (mosquito netting) sprayed with or soaked in permethrin or deltamethrin. These chemicals repel or kill mosquitoes.
  • Use flying-insect spray indoors around sleeping areas.
• Take medicine to prevent malaria. Start taking it before you leave on your trip. Keep taking it while you travel. When you get home, keep taking the medicine for as long as your doctor tells you to.

The doctor will ask you questions about your health and do a physical exam. If the doctor thinks you may have malaria, they will use a blood smear to check for the disease. During this test, a sample of blood is placed on a glass slide, prepared, and looked at under a microscope.

A blood smear test can help diagnose malaria. It can also help a doctor see what type of malaria parasite you have and how many parasites are in your blood. This can help with decisions about treatment.

If the first blood smear doesn't show malaria, your doctor may order more tests every 12 to 24 hours.

A blood test that can diagnose malaria quickly is also available. If this rapid test points to malaria, the results are usually confirmed with a blood smear. Other blood tests may also be done.

There are things you can do to feel better. For example, get plenty of rest. Slowly increase your activity as you start to feel better. Take antimalarial medicine as prescribed. Take over-the-counter medicines for pain or fever if needed. Go to any follow-up appointments. Contact your doctor if you don't get better as expected.

You get malaria when a mosquito infected with parasites bites you and transfers the parasite to you. You can't get malaria just by being near a person who has the disease.

Malaria is a disease that causes a fever, chills, and muscle pain. You can get it from a bite from an infected mosquito. Malaria is very rare in the United States. It's most often found in Africa, Southern Asia, Central America, and South America.

Symptoms may come and go in cycles. Malaria may also cause more serious problems. These include damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain. It can even be deadly. But you can do a lot to prevent this infection.