He died because of illness from a mosquito bite and contracted malaria

You would believe that this famous explorer and conqueror passed away valiantly, defending his home country of Portugal or seeking out new lands to take, but in reality, he did not. Vasco de Gama was dispatched to India on his third and final expedition in 1524 to take over as Governor of India in place of Duarte de Meneses, who was reputed to have administered India up until that point carelessly and disastrously.

Although he landed in Goa, India, without incident, he quickly fell ill after being bitten by a mosquito and had malaria, one of the worst diseases at the time in the East. If you do not receive the proper vaccination, it is quite likely that you may contract the illness known as malaria from mosquitos in countries such as South Africa, Papua New Guinea, and India.

Even though he was sick, he was still able to assert his position as Vice-King of India and, for the short time he had left, he created order in the lands of the East. Vasco da Gama passed away on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1524, in the city of Cochin. Vasco da Gama was initially laid to rest at St. Francis Church in Kochi, but fifteen years after his passing, in 1539, his body was brought back to Portugal. When he came back, his body was turned over in Vidigueira, and his casket was adorned with gold and jewels.