How do you prevent malaria?

Spraying a home with insecticides, keeping skin covered at peak mosquito times, using topical insect repellents and sleeping within the protection of mosquito nets all help prevent malaria, explains Mayo Clinic. The drugs that are used to treat malaria can also be taken to prevent the initial malaria infection.

Drugs used to treat malaria include chloroquine, quinine sulfate, mefloquine and hydroxychloroquine, Mayo Clinic states. Which drug is most effective varies by region, since malaria evolves resistance to many of these medications fairly quickly. It is most common in tropical and subtropical climates including south of the Sahara Desert in Africa, Haiti and India. It is normally spread by mosquitoes, but it can also be spread through blood transfusions and from a mother to an unborn child. Children and travelers who live in regions where malaria is rare face the most danger from malaria infection.

Malaria is caused by a parasite, says Mayo Clinic. The disease causes repeated bouts of fever and chills. Other common symptoms include profuse sweating, vomiting, diarrhea and headache. Malaria is a dangerous disease that causes severe complications such as organ failure, brain damage, coma, severe anemia and breathing problems. Milder forms of the disease can persist for years and cause occasional symptoms.