Malaria

A potentially fatal infectious disease transmitted from human to human by female mosquitoes when they such blood.  It can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, or shared needles.    There are about 170 types of malaria parasite, but only four of them can affect humans.  One occurs in the Middle East, India , and central America.  The other three occur mainly in Africa . Symptoms usually begin within 10 days to a month after being bitten by an infected mosquito.  Characteristic symptoms include fever, shaking chills, headache, and muscle aches.  Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe fatigue, and jaundice may also occur.  The liver and spleen may become enlarged.  The symptoms come and go, appearing regularly every few days and lasting for several hours as infected blood cells burst and release more parasites.  Complications can include imbalances in the blood, with lower blood sugar and increased acidity.  Parasites can deform the outer layers of the red blood cells, causing anemia.  Kidney, heart, or respiratory organ failure can occur.  Dark pigments in the blood resulting from the destruction of many red blood cells can spill over into the urine, a condition called Blackwater fever.  Treatment is by a combination of antimalarial drugs.