Malaria

**Definition:** A disease caused by an infection with a protozoan parasite from the Plasmodium genus. This disease commonly presents with fever, chills, headache, nausea and vomiting, or malaise. Transmission is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Confirmation is commonly by identification of the Plasmodium genus in a blood sample.

**Long definition:** Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a disease caused by infection of liver cells and red blood cells with protozoan parasites of the species Plasmodium falciparum, inoculated into the human by a feeding female anopheles mosquito. The first symptoms of malaria are nonspecific including fever, headache, and vomiting, but if the disease progresses, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by massive haemolysis.