What should you know about malaria spread from person to person?

A mosquito can pick up malaria parasites from an infected person and pass them during a later bite. Malaria is not normally spread by sharing food, hugging, coughing, or sitting near someone. Unusual transmission can occur through infected blood or from a pregnant person to a baby. Fever, Chills, headache, and Muscle Aches can occur, but symptoms cannot confirm the route or diagnosis.

Use repellent, protective clothing, screens, and mosquito nets where relevant. Anyone who develops fever after travel should seek prompt assessment and give the destination and travel dates. A Blood Test may investigate malaria. Before future travel, arrange a Travel Health Consultation to discuss Malaria Prophylaxis.

Get urgent care for fever after possible exposure, especially with confusion, fainting, breathing problems, seizures, persistent vomiting, or severe weakness. Do not wait for another person's test result; each person's exposure needs individual assessment.

Ask whether your exposure requires testing, how to protect household members from mosquito bites, and which symptoms require emergency help. If travel is planned, ask when prevention medicine should begin and how long it should continue.