What causes Malaria?
Malaria is caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. The disease may be transmitted from one human to another by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
Four kinds of malaria parasites have long been known to infect humans:
Plasmodium falciparum P. vivax P. ovale P. malariae
P. knowlesi - a recently recognized type of malaria parasite, naturally infecting macaques in Southeast Asia as well as humans, which results in malaria transmission from animal to human ("zoonotic" malaria).
Falciparum malaria, one of the five different types of malaria, affects a greater proportion of the red blood cells than the other types, making it significantly more serious. It can be fatal within a few hours of the manifestation of the primary symptoms.
Malaria can also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn baby (congenitally) and by blood transfusions.
Malaria can be carried by mosquitoes in temperate climates, but the parasite is inactive over the winter.
In certain areas of the world, mosquitoes that carry malaria have developed resistance to insecticides and some antibiotics. This has led to difficulty in controlling both the rate of infection and subsequent spread of the disease. </s>