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Malaria is a serious infection caused by a parasite. It is spread by mosquitoes, with one bite being enough to pass on the disease.
Read on to find out the symptoms of malaria, so you can get treatment as quickly as possible. If left untreated, malaria can become very dangerous, and even fatal.
Malaria symptoms can affect 4 parts of your body: head, stomach, muscles, and skin. Click on the different body parts to read more about them.
A mild headache that you might assume to be from a cold can also be a sign of malaria.
StomachYou might feel nausea, vomit or experience a stomach ache. Stomach symptoms are often mild and can end up being ignored.
SkinYou may experience cycles of cold shivers and sweating, along with a high fever. Malaria can also cause your skin to turn slightly yellow (jaundice).
MusclesMuscle aches, joint pain and back pain are also a sign that you’ve become infected with malaria.
Click on the relevant area of the body to see examples of common malaria symptoms.
The first signs of malaria are often mistaken for flu, as they involve a high fever, headache and vomiting.
Other symptoms include:
If you fall ill after returning from a country with a malaria risk, you should seek medical attention to get tested for the parasite - even if you only have mild symptoms.
Another dangerous illness that puts travellers at risk is typhoid, which is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria.
Malaria and typhoid are both types of tropical fever, meaning that they are infections most commonly found in the tropical regions of the world.
If you have visited any tropical area, you should also be aware of the symptoms of typhoid - some of them are the same as malaria.
Malaria | Typhoid | |
---|---|---|
Headache | ||
Stomach pain | ||
Fever | ||
Skin rash (red spots) | ||
Jaundice | ||
Diarrhoea | ||
Constipation |
If you do not treat typhoid it can become very dangerous or even deadly. If you think you might have become infected, see a doctor straight away.
The incubation period (time that it takes to get sick after infection) can vary with malaria.
In general, it is advised that you pay close attention to your health for 4 weeks after returning from a country at risk of malaria.
However, symptoms usually appear between 7 and 18 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
There are 4 different malaria parasites that can infect humans. These are:
The deadliest parasite is p. falciparum. This form of malaria spreads very quickly after infection, and has the shortest incubation period.
In rare cases, malaria symptoms can show up years after infection. This is because certain parasites (normally p. vivax) can live dormant in the body for long periods of time.
If left untreated, malaria can become dangerous fast.
The p. falciparum malaria parasite can progress from mild symptoms to severe illness and even death, in less than 24 hours.
When malaria becomes severe, symptoms can include:
All types of malaria need quick medical action. However, with treatment, most people will have a full recovery.
If you think you’ve been infected with malaria, you should seek medical help quickly (within 24 hours of your first symptom).
Malaria is a serious infection that must be treated right away. If you think you might have it, call 111 or go to your local emergency department.
As with all health conditions, prevention is better than treatment.
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