Are you aware of the symptoms of one of the world''s biggest killers? As travel increases to destinations where malaria occurs,
it''s important to take preventive measures and be alert to
symptoms once you return.
What is it?
Malaria is caused by an
infection of the red blood cells with a tiny organism or parasite called a protozoa. There are four important species of the malaria protozoa (Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae) and each has a slightly different effect.
These organisms are carried from person to person by the Anopheles mosquito. When it bites an infected person, the mosquito sucks up blood containing the parasite, which may then be passed on to the mosquito''s next victim.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom of malaria is a fever that occurs in regular episodes, with sweating and shivers (known as rigors), and exhaustion (because of anaemia). In some cases, it can affect the brain or kidneys.
Who''s affected?
Malaria occurs where the Anopheles mosquito breeds - predominantly in rural tropical areas. From a UK perspective, it''s a threat to people travelling to malarial regions abroad. As many as 30,000 visitors to tropical countries are infected every year.
Malaria is a major killer in many countries where resources for prevention, proper diagnosis and drug treatments are lacking. If diagnosed promptly, it can be easily treated but the symptoms can be vague and UK doctors may not immediately be thinking about tropical infections.
About 90 per cent of travellers who contract malaria do not become ill until after they return home. Symptoms might not appear until up to six months later. Only about 12 per cent of these will become seriously ill.
The most severe form of the disease is cerebral malaria, which is fatal in up to six per cent of adults, mainly because it''s not diagnosed until it''s too late.
Don''t make the mistake of assuming you''re safe from infection if you have previously lived in a malarial region - you may build up some immunity to the disease but this can be lost quickly. And if your children were born in the UK, they''ll have no immunity at all.
If you''re going to visit, travel through, or even just stop over in a malarial country you''ll be at risk, even if you have lived there before.
How can I prevent it?
By far the most important is to take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using effective insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and full-length trousers, staying in accommodation with screen doors and closing windows, and so on.
Before you travel, check whether your holiday destination is affected by malaria. You can find your destination on the Scottish Centre for Infection & Environmental Health website.
Take the recommended antimalarial drugs. For maximum protection, you''ll need to take these from one week before you travel until one month after you return, but even then they''re not 100 per cent effective.
One of the major problems is the steady increase in resistance of the infection to the drugs used in both prevention and treatment. There''s also been some controversy about possible side-effects. Always talk to your doctor if you are worried - don''t just stop taking antimalarials without getting medical advice.
If you do develop symptoms, get help quickly - and don''t forget to tell the doctor you''ve travelled to a malarial area.
In the past decade, considerable progress has been made in the search for a malaria vaccine, and it''s hoped one will be available within the next seven to 15 years.