Cheryl Cole diagnosed with malaria

Former Girls Aloud singer and current X-Factor judge Cheryl Cole was diagnosed with malaria after collapsing at a photo shoot Saturday. Doctors believe Cheryl, 27, contracted the disease from a mosquito bite during a 6-day romantic vacation in Tanzania with Derek Hough.

Friends of Cole tell The Mirror “she had been feeling unwell for several days, with symptoms including nausea and a soaring temperature.”

An insider tells the site:

“She just got worse and worse after Saturday and was taken in by her worried management team as it became clear she wasn’t getting any better.

…

“She had been taking malaria tablets regularly while on holiday and continued to take them even after she returned, but she still tested positive for it.”

Cheryl Cole performs at the Brit Awards 2009 held at Earls Court on February 18, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Derek Hough, 25, has been by Cole’s bedside since Sunday evening, when she was admitted to Cromwell hospital in London.

X Factor is scheduled to have auditions this weekend, which Cole is almost certain to miss. “The situation will be reviewed on a day-by-day basis and keep our fingers crossed, but obviously Cheryl’s health comes first,” says an X Factor source.

The disease, one of the leading causes of death in the world, is becoming more and more treatable, especially when caught early enough and when there is access to state-of-the-art medical treatment, as Cheryl will most certainly receive at Cromwell.

Here is a video report from Splash News:

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I’ve always admired Cheryl’s spirit and contagious joy. Get well soon Cheryl! X Factor and red carpet photos won’t be the same until you return!

Top Photo: Singer Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud poses in front of a Rolls Royce as she promotes National Lottery’s new Dream Number in Jasmine Studios on July 11, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

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