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Malaria - and its cousin, yellow fever - had significant implications during the war and the debilitating consequences of the disease were already certain before the Civil War had started in earnest and well before its final history had been written.
Malaria is caused by a bite from a mosquito infected with parasites. In very rare cases, people can get malaria if they come into contact with infected blood. You cannot get malaria just by being near a person who has the disease. What are the symptoms? Most malaria infections cause symptoms like the flu, such as a high fever, chills, and muscle pain. Symptoms tend to come and go in cycles. Some types of malaria may cause more serious problems, such as damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain. These types can be deadly. How is malaria diagnosed?