DP Health Initiative

HOW CAN A PERSON CONTACT MALARIA?

Malaria is a serious disease that spreads when you’re bitten by a mosquito infected by tiny parasites. When it bites, the mosquito injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream. Malaria is caused by the parasites, not by a virus or by a type of bacterium.
If it isn’t treated, malaria can cause severe health problems such as seizures, brain damage, trouble breathing, organ failure and death.
When the mosquito bites a malaria patient, the mosquito becomes infected and will pass on the disease when it bites another person. Malaria is not transmitted from person to person. In addition, malaria can be transmitted through contaminated blood or blood product transfusion, organ transplant, or shared needles or syringes.
Malaria may also be transmitted from a mother to her foetus/newborn baby before or during delivery.