Female mosquitoes and malaria: what to know

A mosquito becomes infected when it feeds on a person carrying malaria parasites. During a later bite, parasites can enter another person's bloodstream and travel to the liver and red blood cells. Symptoms may include fever, chills, sweating, headache, tiredness, and muscle aches. They can begin after a delay, so tell a clinician about recent travel even if the bite was not noticed. Malaria is a medical condition requiring specific treatment; symptoms alone cannot confirm it.

If you develop fever or flu-like illness during or after travel in a malaria area, contact a medical service promptly and mention every country visited, dates of travel, mosquito exposure, and any prevention medicine. A blood test can look for malaria parasites, and repeat testing may be considered when symptoms continue but the first result is negative. For future travel, arrange a travel health consultation early enough to discuss malaria prophylaxis, insect repellent, covering clothing, screened rooms, and bed nets.

Seek urgent medical care for fever after possible malaria exposure, especially with confusion, fainting, breathing difficulty, repeated vomiting, severe weakness, yellowing of the skin, or a seizure. Do not wait for symptoms to become severe or assume that a previous course of prevention medicine rules malaria out.

Could my travel history fit malaria exposure? Do I need a blood test or repeat testing? Which prevention medicine and bite precautions suit my destination and health history?