What should you know about malaria comes from?

The parasite develops through stages in the mosquito and then enters the bloodstream when the insect feeds. It travels to the liver before multiplying in red blood cells. When infected blood is taken up by another mosquito, the cycle can continue.

Malaria is not spread by sharing food, touching, coughing or sitting near someone. Rare transmission can occur through infected blood, such as an unsafe transfusion or shared injecting equipment, and from a pregnant person to the baby. These routes are different from everyday household contact.

If you are travelling or living where malaria occurs, reduce mosquito bites by using repellent on exposed skin, wearing long sleeves and trousers, and choosing screened or treated sleeping spaces. Follow a clinician’s advice about malaria prophylaxis when your itinerary carries exposure risk.

Keep a record of countries and regions visited. That detail helps a clinician assess a later fever, because malaria risk varies by location and a short stop can still matter. A travel health consultation can tailor prevention to the route rather than treating every destination alike.

Get prompt medical care for fever after travel or residence in a malaria area. Chills, sweating, headache, muscle aches, unusual tiredness or confusion can accompany the illness, but symptoms may not follow a predictable pattern.

Tell the healthcare team about mosquito exposure and the dates and places of travel. A blood test can help identify malaria parasites. Urgent assessment matters because untreated infection can worsen, and a fever should not be dismissed as jet lag or a minor viral illness.

Ask whether your planned destination has malaria transmission, which bites are most relevant there, whether prophylaxis is suitable for you, and which symptoms after return should trigger same-day assessment.