• Question: how do people get maleria?

    Asked by anon-12965 to Alex, Jools, Lynz, Matt, Rika on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Matthew Dickinson

      Matthew Dickinson answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Malaria is caused by a parasite (an organism that lives and feeds off another organism).

    • Photo: Lyndsey Fox

      Lyndsey Fox answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      It’s mainly transmitted by mosquitos which “spit” a parasite into our blood when they bite, but you can take “quinine” to help prevent it if you are travelling in infected countries.
      Tonic water also contains quinine, this is the reasons not many British people got malaria when the British empire was expanding; because we drank a lot of gin and tonic!
      There’s a top tip for you if you ever travel to asia!

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