Summary

Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite. You get it when an infected

mosquito bites you. Malaria is a major cause of death worldwide, but it is
almost wiped out in the United States. The disease is mostly a problem in
developing countries with warm climates. If you travel to these countries,
you are at risk. There are four different types of malaria caused by four
related parasites. The most deadly type occurs in Africa south of the Sahara
Desert.
Malaria symptoms include chills, flu-like symptoms, fever, vomiting, diarrhea,
and jaundice. A blood test can diagnose it. It can be life-threatening.
However, you can treat malaria with drugs. The type of drug depends on
which kind of malaria you have and where you were infected.

Malaria can be prevented. When traveling to areas where malaria is found

See your doctor for medicines that protect you

Wear insect repellent with DEET
Cover up
Sleep under mosquito netting
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Malaria (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Malaria (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
Malaria Research (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Latest News
Travelers Bring Malaria Back to U.S., with High Costs (04/24/2017,
HealthDay)
Prevention and Risk Factors
Choosing a Drug to Prevent Malaria (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention)
Mefloquine (Lariam) (Department of Veterans Affairs)
Treatments and Therapies
Counterfeit and Substandard Antimalarial Drugs (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention)
Malaria Treatment (United States) (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention)
 Related Issues
Malaria and Travelers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Using Malaria Medication for Leg Cramps Is Risky (Food and Drug
Administration)
Games
Play the Mosquito Game (Nobel Foundation)
Statistics and Research
Malaria Facts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Shape of Key Malaria Protein Could Help Improve Vaccine Efficacy
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Malaria (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed
(National Library of Medicine)

Article: Prospects for malaria control through manipulation of mosquito

larval habitats...
Article: The end of a dogma: the safety of doxycycline use...
Article: Challenges for malaria vector control in sub-Saharan Africa:
Resistance and...
Malaria -- see more articles
Find an Expert
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
World Health Organization
Children
Malaria (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
Malaria (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish