Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease prevalent in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. Common symptoms include high fevers. It is transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, especially in areas with stagnant water where mosquito populations are high. While knowledge varied, several students correctly identified that malaria is spread by mosquitoes and causes fevers, and one student discussed personal experience with a child in Africa having malaria.

1. What do 10 University of
Kansas students know about
malaria?
By Meredith Chait

2. –
Lindyn Roush, speech-language-hearing major
“I think it has something to do with mosquitoes. But that could be West
Nile.”

3. Caitlin Uyemura, chemical engineering major
“Is that the disease that is spread through mosquitoes? Did we have an
outbreak in the U.S. like 10 years ago? Or was that West Nile?”

4. Sierra Franklin, theater performance major
“It is spread through mosquitoes. I did a fundraiser, you buy a
mosquito net bracelet and save a child’s life.” The proceeds from the
bracelet went to buying someone in Africa mosquito netting for their
bed.

5. Andrew Mechler, architecture major
“Bed nets… you need bed nets.”

6. Kathleen Carlson, education major
“I know it is carried by mosquitoes and one of the symptoms is a very
high fever.”

7. Hannah Dale and Mark Linenberger, architecture majors
“It is transmitted through mosquitoes. Stagnant water creates more
mosquitoes.”
Me: did Mark help you?
Hannah: “yea, I thought it was [transmitted] through water.”

8. Matt Livingston, architecture major
“[I know] nothing… I know it is a disease… so nothing.”

9. Olivia Jensik, business major
“People in Africa have it. I know it is bad.”

10. Jamie White, English major
“It is a disease that is responsible for a lot of deaths in Third World
countries.”

11. Tyler Beck, economics major
“It is a mosquito-born illness. It’s prevalent in Southeast Asia. There is
a vaccine for it called Malarone that you have to start taking three days
before you get there. This five-year-old boy I was staying with had it.
He had like a 105 degree fever.”