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Malaria

Malaria is a serious infection caused by a parasite and spread by mosquitoes in some parts of the world. It can become life-threatening when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Symptoms often begin within a couple of weeks of an infected bite, but they can also appear much later.

Medicine used to treat Malaria

Aralen

Chloroquine

250 · 500mg

The chloroquine tablets are supplied as Aralen for malaria. You can choose from several strengths and pack sizes. You see the price per tablet for each option.

FromUS$0.56/ tabletView

Key points

  • Malaria is a parasitic disease passed to people through the bite of an infected mosquito.
  • It is a medical emergency: antimalarial treatment needs to start quickly, and some people need hospital care.
  • Anyone with symptoms who has been in a country where malaria is found in the past 12 months should get urgent medical help.

What malaria is

A certain type of mosquito carries the parasite and passes it on when it bites a person. The infection is found in some parts of the world, so illness can appear in people who have travelled to those areas.

Symptoms and speed

Symptoms usually appear 7 to 18 days after an infected bite. They can also take months, and rarely years, to show. Delay is the main danger: without prompt treatment the infection can progress to severe disease.

Treatment

Malaria is treated with antimalarial medicines, started as an emergency. Some patients need care in hospital. Chloroquine is an antimalarial ingredient supplied as tablets, and Aralen tablets come in 250mg and 500mg strengths. Other medicines in this group appear under antiparasitics, and the ingredient has its own page at chloroquine. Pharmacy partners in India ship to Malaysia in discreet packaging.

When to get medical help

Seek urgent help if you have malaria symptoms and have travelled to a country where malaria is found during the last 12 months. Do not wait for symptoms to settle on their own.

What the sources say

  • Malaria is a serious infection spread by mosquitoes in some parts of the world (NHS).
  • In a typical year, about 2,000 cases are reported in the United States, mostly in returning travellers (CDC).
  • Malaria can be fatal if it is not diagnosed and treated quickly (NHS).

Further reading

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