Malaria · 4 min read · Updated October 2026
Malaria: the signs, and when to get help fast
Fever, chills and body aches are common in malaria. Learn which symptoms mean you should see a doctor today, not tomorrow.
Clinician review pending This article is awaiting sign-off by a doctor.
Malaria is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. In most of sub-Saharan Africa it is one of the most common causes of fever, and nearly all deaths are from the Plasmodium falciparum type. It is treatable, and treatment works best when it starts early.
Common signs
Symptoms usually begin 10 to 15 days after the bite. The most common are fever (which may come and go), chills and shivering, headache, body and joint aches, tiredness, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhoea. In young children, a fever with no obvious cause is often malaria until a test says otherwise.
Get a test before treatment
A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or a blood smear takes minutes at most clinics and pharmacies. Treating 'fever' as malaria without a test means other causes, such as typhoid, pneumonia or a urine infection, can be missed. Many pharmacies now test on the spot.
Danger signs: go to a hospital today
Seek urgent care if you or your child has any of these: confusion, drowsiness or difficulty waking; a fit (convulsion); fast or difficult breathing; dark or very little urine; yellow eyes; inability to drink or keep fluids down; a fever in a baby under 2 months; or fever during pregnancy. These can be signs of severe malaria, which needs injectable treatment in hospital.
Treatment
Uncomplicated malaria is treated with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), such as artemether-lumefantrine, taken for three days. Finish the whole course even if you feel better after a day. Chloroquine no longer works for falciparum malaria in Africa. Pregnant women need specific medicines, so always say if you are or might be pregnant.
Prevention
Sleep under an insecticide-treated net every night, including children. Use window screens and repellent in the evening. Clear standing water near your home. If you are pregnant, ask about intermittent preventive treatment at antenatal visits. A malaria vaccine for young children (RTS,S or R21) is being introduced in several countries; ask your clinic whether it is available.
How Telafia can help
A doctor on Telafia can assess your symptoms, advise whether you need a test today, and review your test result and treatment. If you have any of the danger signs above, do not wait for a video call; go to the nearest hospital.
Emergency numbers
767 works in Lagos State; 112 is the national number. Numbers change: please check locally. If a number does not connect, go straight to the nearest hospital.
Related doctors
Questions about this? A general practice doctor can help today.