Malaria‐infected children had higher tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) (p < .001), interferon‐gamma (IFN‐ɣ) (p < .001), interleukin (IL)‐1β (p < .001), IL‐6 (p < .001), granulocyte macrophage‐colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) (p < .001), and IL‐10 (p < .001) levels than controls. This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and malaria.