QUESTIONIf someone has malaria, is it contagious?ANSWERNo. Malaria cannot be transmitted via touching or saliva or air. In virtually all cases, it is only transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, and so cannot be passed from one person to another. There are a few exception—because the parasite lives in certain organs and in the blood, it can sometimes be transmitted via … [Read more...]
Malaria: Mode of Transmission
QUESTIONWhat is the mode of transmission of Malaria?ANSWERMalaria is transmitted normally via the bite of an infected mosquito. These mosquitoes, always female and of the genus Anopheles, carry malaria parasites in their salivary glands. The parasites, at this part of their life cycle known as sporozoites, are introduced into the host's blood when the mosquito takes a blood meal. From … [Read more...]
Causes of Malaria
QUESTIONWhat are the causes of malaria?ANSWERMalaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito.Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and … [Read more...]
Malaria Infectious?
QUESTIONIs malaria infectious?ANSWERYes, malaria is considered an infectious disease, though it is very rarely transmitted directly between people, and virtually all of the time must be transmitted via the bite of a mosquito (of the genus Anopheles).Because part of the life cycle of malaria occurs in red blood cells in the human host, if sufficient amounts of blood are shared … [Read more...]
Other Causes of Malaria
QUESTIONApart from mosquitoe bites, is there any other thing that can cause malaria or if not from mosquitoes, is there any other way someone can get malaria?ANSWERSince the malaria parasites reside and reproduce in the blood, in some cases it is possible to transmit malaria from person to person through transfer of a large volume of blood, for example during a blood transfusion. … [Read more...]
Can Child Be Affected by Mother’s Malaria
QUESTION If the baby's mother has malaria, can it affect the child?ANSWERIf the mother is pregnant when she gets malaria, particularly if it is her first pregnancy and particularly if she has never had malaria before, the effects on both the mother and child can be very serious. For the mother, this is because her immune system changes when she gets pregnant. This leaves her more … [Read more...]
Malaria and Pregnancy
QUESTIONCan your baby become immune if you're pregnant and you have malaria?ANSWERSome of the protective antibodies that the mother produces when she has malaria can pass to her baby via the placenta. There is also evidence for immune system "priming" in foetuses when their mothers have been infected my malaria during pregnancy. However, these potentially protective effects are usually … [Read more...]
Pregnant Women and Malaria
QUESTIONWhy are pregnant women and children at the highest risk of getting malaria?ANSWERThe reason why pregnant women and children are at greater risk of contracting malaria is due to their reduced levels of immunity. Children living in malarial areas have less immunity than adults because they have had less exposure to malaria, and so their immune systems have not had a chance to … [Read more...]
Malaria Transmission Through Sexual Contact
QUESTIONCan i get malaria if i have sex with someone that has malaria?ANSWERNo. Malaria cannot be sexually transmitted. In virtually all cases, malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, of the genus Anopheles. The mosquito passes the malaria parasite (there are several species which cause malaria in humans, all of the genus Plasmodium) through its saliva when it … [Read more...]