Malaria is caused due to ........? A) bacterial infection. B) viral infection. C) parasitic infection .

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals Caused by parasitic protozoans (a group of single-celled microorganisms) Belonging to the genus Plasmodium. That Typically Malaria causes symptoms include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma or death.  The disease is transmitted by the biting of mosquitoes, and the symptoms begin Usually ten to fifteen days after Being bitten. Appropriately if not treated, people May Have Recurrences of the disease months later. In Those Who Have Recently survived an infection, re-infection Typically causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance Disappears over months to years if the person has not Continuing exposure to malaria.

The disease is transmitted by MOST Commonly an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite introduce the parasites from the mosquito's salivary into a person's blood. The parasites travel to the liver Where They mature and reproduce. Five species of Plasmodium can infect and be spread by humans. Most Deaths Caused by P. falciparum are Because P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae Generally cause a milder form of malaria. The species P. knowlesi rarely causes disease in humans. Typically Malaria is diagnosed by microscopic examination of the blood using blood films, or With antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests.  That Methods use the polymerase chain reaction to detect the parasite's DNA Have Been developed, but are not Widely used in areas Where malaria is common due to Their cost and complexity.

The risk of disease can be reduced by Preventing mosquito bites by using mosquito nets and insect repellents, or mosquito-Control Measures With: such as spraying insecticides and draining standing water. Several medications are available to Prevent Malaria in Travelers to areas Where the disease is common. Occasional doses of the medication sulfadoxine / pyrimethamine are recommended in infants and after the first trimester of pregnancy in areas With high rates of malaria. DESPITE to need, no effective vaccine exists, Efforts to Develop, Although one are ongoing. The recommended treatment for malaria is a combination of anti-malarial medications That includes an artemisinin.  The second medication May be Either mefloquine, lumefantrine, or sulfadoxine / pyrimethamine.  Along With doxycycline Quinine May be used if an artemisinin is not available. It is recommended That in areas Where the disease is common, malaria is confirmed if possible before treatment is started due to Concerns of Increasing drug resistance. Among the parasites Resistance has developed to several antimalarial medications; for example, chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum has spread to MOST malarial areas, and resistance to artemisinin has Become a problem in some parts of Southeast Asia.

The disease is Widespread in the tropical and subtropical regions That exist in a broad band around the equator. This includes much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Malaria is Commonly Associated With poverty and have a major negative effect on economic development.  In Africa, it is Estimated to result in losses of US $ 12 billion a year due to Increased healthcare costs, lost Ability to work, and negative effects on tourism.  The World Health Organization reports There Were 198 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2013.  This Resulted in an Estimated 584,000 to 855,000 Deaths, the majority (90%) Of which occurred in Africa.