Malaria is a disease characterized by fever presence which is accompanied by intense sweating and rigors. It is used to mimicing other diseases having a large variety of symptoms, fact that increases the difficulties in diagnosing it.

Fever Rigors Headache Cough & chest pain Pain in muscles and joints Dizziness Weakness Nausea, Vomiting, diarrhoea
These flu-like symptoms are the common symptoms of malaria in case of a patient with uncomplicated form of the disease

In case of severe (complicated) malaria, the patient may have:

• Prostration
• Very high fever
• Dehydration
• Very low blood pressure that does not recover despite medical interventions
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Severe hypoglycaemia
• Severe anaemia
• Spontaneous bleeding (without trauma)
• Dark coloured urine
• Yellow coloured skin (jaundice)
• Fullness feeling in the upper abdominal (due to liver and spleen enlargement)
• Generalized convulsions

Complications of severe malaria

(mostly by Plasmodium falciparum, the one of the fifth plasmodia that infect humans)

Severe anaemia

It is characterized by an haematocrite level lower than 15% (normal levels: 25-45%) and haemoglobulin level lower than 5 (normal levels: 12-16 g/dl). The patient presents prostration, breathing difficulties or even cardiac arrest.


Cerebral malaria

In this case, brain vessels are occluded by the parasite and thus the brain has an inadequate blood and oxygen supply. This extraordinary form of the disease may manifest with behavioural changes, psychosis and mania, or even seizures and coma.



Vulnerable population groups:

• Pregnant women
• Little children
• Elders

Natural protection

There are some blood disorders that seem to play a protective role versus malaria.

1. G6PD deficiency (those who have it are aware of their inability to consume aspirin)
2. Thalassaemia
3. Sickle cell trait