Malaria

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite. It is spread by infected mosquitoes. This disease is a major cause of death around the world, particularly in developing nations in warmer climates. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 350-500 million cases of malaria occur annually worldwide. Over one million people die from malaria each year, including many young children.

Although malaria is rare in the United States, in 2007 the CDC reported 1,505 cases. One case was acquired through blood transfusion, but all other cases were acquired through travel. The CDC maintains malaria surveillance to identify locally acquired cases because the Anopheles mosquito that carries the malaria parasite still exists in the United States.

Four types of malaria are caused by four different parasites. Symptoms are flu-like, including chills, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and jaundice. The disease can be treated and the medicine depends on the type of malaria.

To Read About Malaria:

Malaria: Topic Home (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) Topics include: malaria faq, biology, CDC activities, prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, maps of geographic distribution and epidemiology, history, disease impact, travel advice and more.

Malaria Research (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - NIH)

Malaria (MedlinePlus) Created by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health for the general public, this website contains links to an overview of the disease, tutorials, research, clinical trials, news, statistics and organizations working on the problem around the world.