Malaria is a disease that is spread through mosquito bites, and occurs commonly in areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Eastern Europe and the South Pacific. The disease does not currently have a vaccine, but it is preventable with medication. Mosquitos carrying malaria feed on people, and spread the disease. Malaria is a parasitic infection caused by a single-celled parasite that multiplies in the red blood cells of human beings as well as in the intestines of mosquitos. As this disease is quite serious, and can even cause severe illness or death, prevention is of the utmost importance when travelling to affected areas. Malaria currently causes up to 500,000 deaths worldwide, and affects millions of people.