Symptoms of malaria can develop as quickly as seven days after you are bitten by an infected mosquito.
Typically, the incubation period (the time between being infected and when symptoms start) is 10-15 days. However, in some cases, it can take up to a year for symptoms to develop.
The initial symptoms of malaria are flu-like and include a fever, headache, sweats, chills and vomiting. This is often mild and can sometimes be difficult to identify as malaria.
Other symptoms of malaria include:
- muscle pains
- generally feeling unwell
- diarrhoea
With some types of malaria, the fever occurs in 4-8 hour cycles. You feel cold at first with shivering that lasts for up to an hour. You then develop a fever that lasts for 2-6 hours, accompanied by severe sweating.
Seek medical advice immediately if you develop the symptoms of malaria, even if it is several weeks, months or a year after you return from travelling.
Plasmodium falciparum malaria
The most serious type of malaria is caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. It can develop very quickly into a severe, life-threatening illness.
If it is not treated promptly, it can lead to life-threatening complications, such as:
- breathing problems
- seizures (fits)
- organ failure
- severe anaemia - a lack of oxygen in your blood (although this is very rare)
The most serious complication of falciparum malaria is a blockage in the blood vessels that supply the brain.
Read more about the complications of malaria.
