Malaria: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

Malaria still causes serious illness in many parts of the world, but you can prevent it and treat it successfully when caught early. If you travel to areas where malaria occurs, knowing what to watch for and what to do can make a big difference.

The most common early signs are fever, chills, sweating, headache, muscle aches, nausea, and fatigue. Symptoms can come on suddenly or build over a few days. If you notice high fever, confusion, trouble breathing, severe weakness, jaundice, or dark urine, get medical help right away—those can be signs of severe malaria.

Want to know when to test? Malaria usually shows up 7 to 30 days after a bite, but some types (like P. vivax) can hide in the liver and cause relapses months later. If you’ve been in a malaria area and feel unwell—even weeks after coming home—tell your doctor and ask for a malaria test. Rapid diagnostic tests and blood smears are the usual checks.

How to prevent malaria

Prevention is about reducing bites and using medication when needed. Here are practical steps you can take:

• See a travel clinic before your trip. They’ll recommend the right preventive drug for the region. Common choices include atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, and mefloquine—each has pros and cons.
• Start and finish prophylaxis exactly as your provider says: some drugs begin before travel and continue after you return.
• Use insect repellent on exposed skin. Products with DEET or picaridin work well. Apply as directed and reapply after sweating or swimming.
• Sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net if the place you stay isn’t screened or air-conditioned. Nets treated with permethrin are most effective.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants at dusk and dawn—the main mosquito biting times. Light-colored clothing helps.
• Choose lodging with screens, air conditioning, or closed windows when possible.

Treatment basics and what to expect

If tests confirm malaria, treatment depends on the species and how severe the illness is. Uncomplicated malaria from P. falciparum is usually treated with an artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). For severe malaria, intravenous artesunate in a hospital is the standard emergency treatment.

For P. vivax or P. ovale, doctors often give an additional drug (primaquine or tafenoquine) to clear dormant liver forms and prevent relapse—but you must be tested for G6PD deficiency before taking those drugs because of risk to red blood cells.

Always finish the full treatment course even if you feel better after a day or two. Keep a travel and medication record, and tell any healthcare provider about recent travel if you get sick later.

Quick tips: get pre-travel advice, follow prophylaxis directions, use nets and repellent, and test promptly if you get a fever after travel. Acting fast saves lives.