Malaria

Symptoms

Symptoms for malaria usually start about 10 to 15 days after the infected mosquito bite. Here are some things to keep in mind, though:

• Because the signs are so similar to cold or flu symptoms, it might be hard to tell what you have at first.
• Malaria symptoms don’t always show up within 2 weeks, especially if it’s a P. vivax infection.
• People who live in areas with lots of malaria cases may become partially immune after being exposed to it throughout their lives.

A blood test can confirm whether you have malaria. Along with high fever, shaking chills and sweating, symptoms can include:

• Throwing up or feeling like you're going to
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Being very tired (fatigue)
• Body aches
• Yellow skin (jaundice) from losing red blood cells
• Kidney failure
• Seizure
• Confusion

Malaria can cause you to go into a coma.

Children with severe malaria may get anemia, a condition that happens when you lose too many red blood cells. They may also have trouble breathing. In rare cases they can get cerebral malaria, which causes brain damage from swelling.