Complications – Malaria can cause a lot of damage and a host of complications, especially if it goes untreated for some time. Plasmodium can provoke severe immune responses in the body, leading to sometimes fatal results. Anemia is common, especially in chronic cases, due to the rupture of red blood cells when the organisms emerge. Other critical complications include liver and spleen enlargement, pulmonary edema, cerebral edema (swelling of brain tissue), and acute kidney disease. ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is a rapidly progressive side effect of severe infection, and interferes with oxygen intake. Any of these serious conditions can lead to death within days or just hours.
