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Serious severity
· MD Medicine
Malaria
Mosquito-borne parasitic fever
Plasmodium parasites are spread by Anopheles mosquitoes. P. falciparum can be fatal if treatment is delayed — diagnose every fever in endemic areas.
At a glance
- Prevalence
- Reducing but endemic
- Typical age
- Any age
- Outlook
- Curable
- System
- Lungs
Reviewed by a verified MD Medicine doctor
What causes it
Causes
- Plasmodium parasite (falciparum / vivax)
- Anopheles mosquito bite
- Travel to endemic area
- Pregnancy raises risk
How it feels
Symptoms & effects
- Periodic chills, rigors, fever
- Sweating spells
- Headache, body ache
- Anemia, jaundice
- Confusion in cerebral malaria
How it’s treated
Treatment & cure
- Rapid diagnostic test + smear
- ACT (artemisinin combination therapy)
- Primaquine for vivax relapse
- Severe: IV artesunate
- Treat anemia
Staying ahead
Prevention
- Sleep under mosquito nets
- Repellents, long sleeves
- Empty stagnant water
- Antimalarial prophylaxis for travellers
Do’s
- Get tested for any unexplained fever
- Complete the full anti-malarial course
- Sleep under bed net in endemic areas
- Treat all family members if infected
Don’ts
- Stop primaquine early
- Travel to endemic area without prophylaxis
- Self-medicate with leftover chloroquine
- Ignore fever returning
See a doctor immediately if
Symptoms are sudden or severe, getting worse despite home care, or interfering with sleep, work or daily life. Don’t self-diagnose from the internet — book a verified clinician below.
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Disclaimer ·
This article is educational and reviewed by clinicians, but it cannot replace an in-person assessment.
Medication doses, prevention advice and treatment choices vary by person. Always confirm with a doctor before acting on anything here.