Symptoms of malaria can be similar to those of many different infectious diseases or other illnesses, including:

• Viral illnesses, such as a cold or flu.
• Diseases from tick bites (rickettsia).
• Stomach infections (gastroenteritis).
• Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).
• Severe fever caused by bacteria (typhoid fever).
• Bacterial infection or inflammation of the brain or spinal cord (bacterial meningitis).
• Other infections caused by parasites.

Additional conditions with symptoms similar to Plasmodium falciparum malaria include:

• Stroke or multiple sclerosis (neurologic disease).
• Very low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).
• Enlarged spleen caused by conditions such as bone marrow problems or tumors.
• Blood disorder (hemolytic anemia).
• Heart failure.
• Pneumonia.
• Kidney failure.