What is Malaria?
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Malaria is a serious parasitic disease and is carried to humans through mosquitoes infected with the protozoan parasite called Plasmodium. There are 5 species of Plasmodium (Malaria parasite) which infect humans:
• Plasmodium vivax
• Plasmodium falciparum
• Plasmodium malariae
• Plasmodium ovale
• Plasmodium knowlesi
Of these five, Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly parasite.
An important fact about malaria is, only the female mosquitoes belonging to Anopheles genus act as vectors in carrying the disease. These mosquitoes blood feed on infected humans and contribute to the transmission of malaria. However, malaria is a non-contagious disease and does not spread directly from person-to-person.
Disclaimer
All information and content on this site are for information and educational purposes only. The information should not be used for either diagnosis or treatment or both for any health related problem or disease. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician for medical diagnosis and treatment.
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. The editorial team reserves the right to review and moderate the comments posted on the site.
