An article on this topic is available in this issue of AFP . Malaria is an infection that causes high fevers and shaking chills. It's spread by a mosquito that feeds at night. If this mosquito bites you, the bug can get into your blood. The bug turns into many bugs, and they feed on your blood cells until you get very sick.
Some people even die from malaria.
Malaria is a big health problem in many tropical countries. It's even a problem for people visiting these countries. Your chance of getting malaria is highest when you travel in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, African countries south of the Sahara Desert and some remote places in southeast Asia. Your chance of getting malaria is a little lower in the areas around the Amazon River in South America, in India and in some rural areas of Central America. In many countries in Asia and South America, malaria is only in the countryside.