Risk of Malaria According to Geographic Region
Your risk of getting
malaria depends on where you are traveling. The most
accurate information about the risk of malaria in specific countries is
available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The risk is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, Papua
New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and the Amazon and Orinoco basins of
South America.
- The risk is medium in Haiti and the Indian
subcontinent.
- The risk is low in most of Southeast Asia and Latin
America.
Malaria infections caused by certain parasites are more
common in some areas of the world.
- Plasmodium (P.) falciparum
is found throughout the world in tropical and subtropical areas. It causes the
most severe form of malaria.
- P. vivax and P. malariae are found mainly in Asia, Latin America, and in some parts of
Africa. These parasites cause a less severe form of malaria that rarely leads
to death.
- P. ovale is found in West Africa, the
Philippines, some parts of Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It also causes a
less severe form of malaria.
- P. knowlesi is
found in Southeast Asia. It can cause a serious type of malaria that may lead
to death.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease |
| Last Revised | April 20, 2011 |