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How is malaria transmitted?

The key stages of the transmission of malaria are:

  • An infected mosquito bites a human
  • The malaria parasite enters the human and within 30 minutes infects the liver
  • Infection develops in red blood cells, which burst infecting other blood cells. During this phase the person becomes dangerously ill with fevers and becomes anaemic
  • Another mosquito feeds on the infected human’s blood and the malaria parasite enters the mosquito
  • The malaria parasite undergoes changes in the mosquito’s gut ready to infect the next person bitten



Downloads

African mothers with children

African Malaria Partnership factsheet:


In focus

Image of taking a blood sample

The menace of malaria