Introduction Plasmodium, a parasitic protozoan, causes malaria. It is a mosquito-borne illness that spreads from person to person by bites from infected mosquitoes. The parasites proliferate in the liver after a mosquito bite and then infect red blood cells. Malaria can be deadly if left untreated. There are several types of malaria; each type is caused by a different species of parasite. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, jaundice, and abnormal bleeding or bruising. Malaria affects about 200 million people worldwide and kills more than 400,000 people per year. About 1 out of 5 people in Africa is at risk of getting the disease. Although most people recover without any problems, some people may have long-term health issues due to malaria infection. There are five main types of malaria: falciparum malaria, vivax malaria, ovale malaria, malariagate, and hypogeous (underground) malaria. Each type of malaria is associated with a particular parasite. Parasites enter through the skin or mouth and migrate to the liver where they grow and reproduce before being released into the bloodstream to invade other cells. Vivax and ovale malaria are called "benign" forms of the disease because even though patients may feel poorly, they usually recover without any special treatment.