Patient education: Malaria (The Basics)

What is malaria? — Malaria is a disease caused by an infection with a parasite (a type of germ). Mosquitoes carry the parasite and spread it to people by biting them.

Malaria is common in many countries. It can be mild or severe. Severe malaria can cause serious health problems and even death.

What are the symptoms of malaria? — Common symptoms include:

●Fever

●Chills

●Sweating

●Headaches

●Body aches

●Tiredness

●Stomach problems – These can include:

•Loss of appetite

•Nausea and vomiting

•Belly pain

•Diarrhea

●Skin that looks yellow – This is called "jaundice."

●Cough

●Fast heart rate or breathing

Severe malaria can cause other symptoms, such as:

●Confusion

●Seeing or hearing things that are not really there

●Seizures

●Dark or bloody urine

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — See a doctor or nurse right away if you get a fever while you are traveling or after you come back. Be sure to tell your doctor or nurse where you traveled, including any airports where you changed flights.

Will I need tests? — Yes. If the doctor or nurse thinks you have malaria, they will order a blood test to look for the parasite that causes it. There are several different types of the parasite. If you have malaria, the doctor needs to know which type you have so they can give the right treatment. A blood test can also show if malaria is causing other health problems.

How is malaria treated? — Doctors give medicines to get rid of the parasite that causes malaria. There are several different medicines. Some people need to take more than 1.

Most people can take pills by mouth, but people with severe malaria need treatment in the hospital. They get medicine through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an "IV."

After you start treatment, you will have blood tests every day for a few days. The tests are to make sure the medicine is working. If not, the doctor can give a different medicine.

Can malaria be prevented? — If you travel to an area where malaria is common, taking medicine can help keep you from getting it. If you plan to travel outside the United States, tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible. They can prescribe medicine if you need it. Take it exactly as the doctor tells you, or it might not work.

Taking malaria medicine is important even if you travel to a place where you used to live and are going back to visit friends or relatives.

You can also reduce your risk by preventing mosquito bites. To do this, you can:

●Stay inside at night – This means any time after sunset and before sunrise.

●Wear shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants when you go outside.

●Wear bug spray or cream that contains DEET or a chemical called picaridin.

●Sleep in a building with good screens over the windows and doors or air conditioning. Or, you can sleep under a bed net treated with bug spray.

People can get malaria even while taking medicine to prevent it. If you get sick during or after travel to an area where malaria is common, and you were taking malaria medicine, see a doctor or nurse. Be sure to tell them you traveled to an area that has malaria and that you were taking medicine.

Experts are also studying vaccines for people in areas where malaria is common.

What if I am pregnant? — Pregnant women have a higher risk of getting malaria than other people, and they can get much sicker. Malaria can cause the following problems:

●A miscarriage – This is when a pregnancy ends on its own before a woman has been pregnant for 20 weeks.

●A baby that is born too small, too early, or infected with malaria

●Death of the mother or baby – The baby could die before or after birth.

If possible, pregnant women should avoid areas where malaria is common until about 2 months after the baby is born.

More on this topic

Patient education: Avoiding infections in pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Staying healthy when you travel (The Basics)

Patient education: Avoiding infections in pregnancy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: General travel advice (Beyond the Basics)