Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. These mosquitoes are present in the tropics and subtropics in almost all countries.
Malaria is the most deadly of all tropical parasitic diseases.
After the parasites enter the body by a mosquito bite, they disappear from the circulating blood within minutes, and gather in the liver. After several days, parasites emerge from the liver and infect RBCs in the circulation. After several days, parasites break out from the RBCs and infect other RBCs, causing the symptoms of malaria. Only falciparum malaria is potentially life-threatening. Patients with severe falciparum malaria may develop liver and kidney failure, convulsions, and coma.