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Dear Eddy, malaria is a disease caused by plasmodium parasites acquired from bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes seeking blood to help mature their eggs.

The parasites attack our red blood cells and feast on blood cell pigments only for the cells to burst releasing the parasite and debris, which results in substances that lead to fever.

Fortunately, the body clears the mess and with this the fever wanes only for other attacked cells to burst causing yet another bout of fever the time taken to cause fever again generally depending on the type of malaria parasites.

Malaria is caused by parasites called plasmodia, which may be falciparum, ovale, malariae, or vivax. It may be named according to how long it takes for the fever to come back. So the commonest malaria is called Quartan malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. So, it is not true that the parasites time when the medics are away to attack the children or even other people.

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