Malaria - Introduction
Definition:
It is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites from the Plasmodium family that can be transmitted by the sting of the Anopheles mosquito or by a contaminated needle or transfusion. A parasite is an organism that survives by living inside a larger organism, called a host.
Malaria is a major health problem in the tropics and subtropics, affecting over 200 million people world wide. These mosquitoes cannot survive in cold areas. Falciparum malaria is the most deadly type.
It produces anaemia and recurring bouts of fever. Malaria is not contagious, which means one person cannot pass it directly to another.
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