What causes malaria?

Malaria is caused by a bite from a parasite-infected mosquito. According to WebMD, five species of parasites infect people. They are mainly found in the tropics and subtropics near the equator of Africa and South America. The bite of an infected P. falciparum mosquito can be life-threatening.

Mayo Clinic explains that Malaria spreads in a cycle. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite an infected person. The disease is passed on when a mosquito bites a non-infected person. The malaria parasites travel to a person’s liver and lie dormant. Upon maturity, they leave the liver and infect the red blood cells. Malaria symptoms then develop. Treatment with anti-malaria medicine is needed.