People who travel to an area where malaria exists should take antimalarial medications. The exact medication depends on the area and the type of Plasmodium there. Travelers can also help prevent mosquito bites by doing the following:
Long-term effects that may result if malaria is untreated are as follows:
Infection in the central nervous system may cause the following:
Some types of Plasmodium can cause chronic infection in the liver. This can cause a relapse many years after the first infection.
Malaria is not spread directly from person to person. But if a mosquito bites an infected person, the mosquito can spread the disease to the next person it bites. Malaria may pass through the placenta of a pregnant woman and infect her fetus.