Malaria is a disease you get from the bite of a special kind of mosquito called Anopheles. This mosquito carries a tiny parasite called Plasmodium, which it picks up when it bites someone who already has malaria.
Types of Malaria
There are two main types of malaria:
1. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ This is the type that comes on quickly and can make you feel very sick.
2. ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐: This type lasts a long time. The symptoms are not as strong, but they can keep coming back. Sometimes, the parasite hides in your liver and comes back later.
Symptoms of Malaria
The symptoms you get depend on how bad the infection is, your age, and the type of parasite.
1. Uncomplicated Malaria (Mild Cases)
Fever (often comes and goes)
- Fever (often comes and goes)
- Chills and sweating – Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Feeling very tired – Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Mild cough
- Enlarged spleen (an organ in your belly)
- Mild anemia (not enough red blood cells)
2. Severe Malaria (Mostly from Plasmodium falciparum)
This type is very dangerous, especially for children. Symptoms include:
- Very low red blood cells (severe anemia)
- Seizures or coma (brain problems)
- Low blood sugar
- Trouble breathing
- Yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Kidney problems
- Bleeding easily
- Very dark urine (like cola)
- Being very weak or unconscious
- Fluid in the lungs (rare but serious)
3. Chronic or Atypical Malaria (Often Missed)
This type is hard to spot because the symptoms are not always clear. It can cause:
- Very large spleen
- Ongoing anemia, with sudden worsening
- Children may grow slowly or have trouble learning
- Sometimes, people have malaria parasites in their blood but donโt feel sick at all
When Do Symptoms Start?
Most people start to feel sick 8 to 30 days after being bitten by the mosquito.
