What are malaria tests?Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite. Parasites are tiny plants or animals that get nutrients by living off another creature. Parasites that cause malaria are passed to humans through the bite of infected mosquitos. At first, malaria symptoms may be similar to those of the flu. Later on, malaria can lead to life-threatening complications.Malaria is not contagious like a cold or flu, but it can be spread from person to person by mosquitos. If a mosquito bites an infected person, it will spread the parasite to anyone it bites afterward. If you are bitten by an infected mosquito, the parasites will travel into your bloodstream. The parasites will multiply inside your red blood cells and cause illness. Malaria tests look for signs of a malaria infection in the blood.Malaria is common in tropical and subtropical areas. Every year, millions of people are infected with malaria, and hundreds of thousands of people die from the disease. Most people who die from malaria are young children in Africa. While malaria is found in more than 87 countries, most infections and deaths happen in Africa. Malaria is rare in the United States. But U.S. citizens who travel to Africa and other tropical countries are at risk for getting infected.Other names: malaria blood smear, malaria rapid diagnostic test, malaria by PCR
