Children and pregnant women are especially susceptible to the disease. In malaria's case the vector is a female Anopheles mosquito. The best transmitters, Anopheles funestes and Anophyeles gambie, dominate in Africa. Additionally, about sixty species of the Anopheles mosquito are major transmitters of the disease. A good diagram of the various cycles of malaria parasite.
Malaria is a disease commonly characterized by fever, chills, headache, and sweating.
The infected person may develop relapses throughout their life. Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the most serious form of malaria, may progress to organ failure, coma, or even death. Once injected, the parasites quickly retreat to the liver, where they mature and multiply. It is not until they reemerge in the bloodstream and invade the blood cells that symptoms appear. By this time the parasites have reproduced thousands of times.