What is Malaria?

The female Anopheles mosquito is the only mosquito that transmits the malaria parasite.

There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans. The deadliest – and most common in Africa – is known as Plasmodium falciparum.

If drugs are not available or if the parasites are resistant to them, malaria infection can develop to anemia, hypoglycemia, or cerebral malaria, which can cause coma, life-long-learning disabilities, and death.

Roughly 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed annually in the United States, following travel to malaria endemic countries. If traveling to a malaria-risk country, consult your health-care provider on appropriate malaria prevention interventions. Travelers that become ill with flu-like symptoms, either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after returning home, should seek immediate medical attention and share their travel history. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control.