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Malaria often presents as a flu-like illness with fevers, chills, sweats, headaches, aches and . Some people develop gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. and symptoms develop when the parasites change from the liver stage and enter red blood cells to undergo multiplication. After a few days the red blood cells burst to release the parasites.
A large spleen may be present, but there may be few other signs that can be detected by a physical examination.
Complicated malaria, primarily caused by P. falciparum, is life-threatening. It can affect the brain, kidneys, lungs and red blood cells and can result in multi-organ failure. When it affects the brain it is called cerebral malaria.
Last Review Date: November 6, 2017