Malaria vs. Dengue — What's the Difference?

Caused by Plasmodium parasites.

Caused by the dengue virus.

Transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes.

Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.

Characterized by fever, chills, and vomiting.

No specific antiviral treatment.

Diagnosed via blood tests.

Prevention focuses on mosquito control.

Treated with antimalarial drugs.

Symptoms include high fever and joint pain.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches.

An acute, infectious tropical disease caused by any of four related flaviviruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, characterized by high fever, rash, headache, severe muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding. A severe form of the disease (dengue hemorrhagic fever), characterized by bleeding from the gums and gastrointestinal tract, can lead to shock and death. Also called breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever.

An infectious disease characterized by cycles of chills, fever, and sweating, caused by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium in red blood cells, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito.

An acute febrile disease of the (sub)tropics caused by the Dengue virus, a flavivirus, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by high fever, rash, headache, and severe muscle and joint pain.

(Archaic) Bad or foul air; miasma.

A specific epidemic disease attended with high fever, cutaneous eruption, and severe pains in the head and limbs, resembling those of rheumatism; - called also breakbone fever. It occurs in India, Egypt, the West Indies, etc., is of short duration, and rarely fatal.

A disease spread by mosquito, in which a protozoan, Plasmodium, multiplies in blood every few days.

An infectious disease of the tropics transmitted by mosquitoes and characterized by rash and aching head and joints

(archaic) Supposed poisonous air arising from marshy districts, once thought to cause fever.

Air infected with some noxious substance capable of engendering disease; esp., an unhealthy exhalation from certain soils, as marshy or wet lands, producing fevers; miasma.

A human disease caused by infection of red blood cells by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, giving rise to fever and chills and many other symptoms, characterized by their tendency to recur at definite and usually uniform intervals. The protozoal infection is usually transmitted from another infected individual by the bite of an Anopheles mosquito.

An infective disease caused by sporozoan parasites that are transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito; marked by paroxysms of chills and fever

Dengue treatment mainly involves supportive care such as hydration and pain management, as there is no specific antiviral medication.

Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.

Malaria symptoms include fever, chills, and vomiting, while dengue features high fever, rash, and muscle and joint pain.

Malaria is treated with antimalarial medications, tailored to the type of Plasmodium causing the infection.

Dengue is caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes.

Preventive measures focus on eliminating mosquito breeding sites and using mosquito repellent.

Common measures include using insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying.

The incubation period for malaria typically ranges from 10 to 15 days.

The incubation period for dengue typically ranges from 4 to 7 days.

Malaria is diagnosed through blood films or rapid diagnostic tests, whereas dengue is diagnosed with PCR or serological tests.

Both diseases can be prevented by controlling mosquito populations and using personal protective measures.

Malaria primarily causes fever and chills, whereas dengue often presents with a rash and severe joint pain.

There is a malaria vaccine available in some regions, while dengue vaccines are available but restricted to certain age groups and populations.

Untreated malaria can lead to severe complications such as cerebral malaria, anemia, and even death.

Severe dengue can result in dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, which can be fatal.