Malaria is caused by parasites that enter your body through the bite of an infected mosquito It is a disease caused by a parasite. not by a virus or by a type of bacterium When the mosquito bites, it injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream.  People have malaria usually feel very sick with a high fever and shaking chills. Malaria can cause severe health problems such as seizures, brain damage, trouble breathing, organ failure, death if it is not treated.

To reduce malaria infections, world health programs distribute preventive drugs and insecticide-treated bed nets to protect people from mosquito bites. The World Health Organization has recommended a malaria vaccine for use in children who live in countries with high numbers of malaria cases.

Protective clothing, bed nets and insecticides can protect you while traveling. You also can take preventive medicine before, during and after a trip to a high-risk area. Many malaria parasites have developed resistance to common drugs used to treat the disease.