Skip to content
WebMD: Better information. Better health.
 
Other search tools:Symptoms|Doctors|Medical Dictionary

Information and Resources

Font Size
A
A
A

Life Cycle of Malaria Parasites

You get malaria from a bite by an infected mosquito. This bite injects malaria-causing parasites into your blood, where they travel to liver cells. In the liver cells, the parasites breed. The cells later burst, letting loose thousands of new parasites that go on to infect more red blood cells.

Mosquitoes get malaria from biting a human who has malaria. The mosquito draws the blood into its stomach where malaria parasites breed and infect other red blood cells. In time, the parasites move into the mosquito’s salivary glands. When this happens, the mosquito is then able to infect a human.

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

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: April 20, 2011
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

Hot Topics

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

WebMD Video: Now Playing

Click here to wach video: Michelle Obama’s Nutrition Tips for Moms

First Lady Michelle Obama shares tips on parenting with moms and other audience members in a WebMD Town Hall meeting in Miami, Florida.

Click here to watch video: Michelle Obama’s Nutrition Tips for Moms

Popular Slideshows & Tools on WebMD

puppy eating
What you need to know.
Ra Management Get A Personalized Report
Assess your symptoms.
Xray of foot highlighting gout
Causes, symptoms and treatments.
Concentration Killers Slideshow
What's robbing your focus?
brain scan
Recognizing symptoms.
group beer toast
Do you know your suds?
Diabetic tools
Symptoms, causes, treatments.
thumbnail for fatigue slideshow
Causes, fixes for fatigue.
thumbnail for Brain Food slideshow
Foods that can help you focus.
Hot cup of coffee
The facts about that cup of joe.
Wendy’s Chicken Club
Double-fisted diet wreckers.

Women's Health Newsletter

Find out what women really need.