Malaria By Salwa Jama

What is malaria and how is it contracted?  Malaria is a disease caused by a protozoan, a type of single-celled organism.  The malaria protist called plasmodium is spread from person to person by female mosquitoes.  These insects feed on blood and the malaria parasite is passed on when the mosquito takes a meal.  Organisms that spread disease, rather than causing it themselves, are called vectors. The mosquito is the vector for malaria.

The malaria cycle

Symptoms of Malaria T ypically, the time between being infected and when symptoms start (incubation period) is 7 to 18 days, depending on the specific parasite you're infected with. However, in some cases it can take up to a year for symptoms to develop. The initial symptoms of malaria are flu-like and include: a high temperature (fever) sweats chills Vomiting Headache

How is it spread?  Malaria is spread by female mosquitoes. The parasite which causes malaria is found in the female mosquitoes saliva.  When a person is bitten by a female mosquito, the parasite enters the bloodstream via the mosquitoes (saliva).  A pregnant woman can pass malaria onto her baby.  Someone using a needle that has been used by a person with malaria can infect that person.  Having a blood transfusion from someone who has malaria can also pass it on to someone else.