Many people in areas where malaria is common develop partial immunity and can carry parasites in their blood without fever or other clear symptoms; this is often called asymptomatic malaria. ( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4718522/ )
A commonly used definition is malaria parasites in the blood in someone who has no fever and no other acute symptoms, and who has not recently taken antimalarial drugs.
Chronic and low‑grade infection
Chronic malaria in semi‑immune people can present as a long‑term infection with few or no acute symptoms, sometimes including no obvious fever episodes.
In these cases, people may feel generally unwell (tiredness, mild anemia, enlarged spleen) rather than having the classic high, periodic fevers.
Typical malaria still involves fever
For most non‑immune people (for example, travelers), fever, chills, and sweats remain the key early symptoms, and any unexplained fever after travel to a malaria area should be treated as possible malaria until excluded. ( https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria )
Malaria can exist without noticeable fever, especially in people repeatedly exposed in endemic regions, but this does not make the infection benign and it still contributes to transmission and health problems.
Anyone with possible exposure (living in or recent travel to a malaria area) and unexplained illness, fatigue, or anemia should seek medical evaluation and mention malaria risk so appropriate tests can be done.
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Can you have it without a fever? It seems so, at least according to this
Malaria usually causes fever, but there are important exceptions where infection is present with little or no fever. ( https://researchblog.duke.edu/2019/11/11/malaria-hides-in-people-without-symptoms/ )
Asymptomatic malaria
Many people in areas where malaria is common develop partial immunity and can carry parasites in their blood without fever or other clear symptoms; this is often called asymptomatic malaria. ( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4718522/ )
A commonly used definition is malaria parasites in the blood in someone who has no fever and no other acute symptoms, and who has not recently taken antimalarial drugs.
Chronic and low‑grade infection
Chronic malaria in semi‑immune people can present as a long‑term infection with few or no acute symptoms, sometimes including no obvious fever episodes.
In these cases, people may feel generally unwell (tiredness, mild anemia, enlarged spleen) rather than having the classic high, periodic fevers.
Typical malaria still involves fever
For most non‑immune people (for example, travelers), fever, chills, and sweats remain the key early symptoms, and any unexplained fever after travel to a malaria area should be treated as possible malaria until excluded. ( https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria )
Because fever patterns can be variable or absent, diagnosis should rely on testing (blood smear or rapid test), not on fever pattern alone. ( https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/0900/malaria.html )
Practical takeaway
Malaria can exist without noticeable fever, especially in people repeatedly exposed in endemic regions, but this does not make the infection benign and it still contributes to transmission and health problems.
Anyone with possible exposure (living in or recent travel to a malaria area) and unexplained illness, fatigue, or anemia should seek medical evaluation and mention malaria risk so appropriate tests can be done.