Malaria

•      It is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium (e.g. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale) that target two main hosts including humans and mosquitoes. 
•     When humans are infected, common effects include high fever, shaking chills, and flu-like symptoms. 
•       Meanwhile, mosquitoes do not suffer when infected and only acts as a vector (i.e. an organism that transmits disease from reservoir to host or from person to person). 
•       Malaria can be fatal and may cause death if not treated timely. It can also be prevented mainly by limiting exposure to mosquitoes and suppressing the environment at which they survive and proliferate. 

In my upcoming blog post, let's explore more of Malaria's epidemiology (i.e. where it is most common, who is at risk, and mortality rates across the globe). 

Bibliography: 

About Malaria. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/index.html

Malaria. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2015, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/