Malaria is a tropical infection disease caused by the malaria parasite. There are four different malaria parasites that can cause the disease in humans and therefore also four different forms of malaria. The most dangerous of these is malaria tropica, which, if not treated, can be fatal in anything from a few days to a number of weeks. The other forms of malaria are 'benign' but even these can cause fever attacks after several months, or even years.
How do you catch malaria?
The malaria parasite is carried by the malaria mosquito (Anopheles). The parasites will enter your bloodstream if you are bitten by an infected mosquito. These parasites then reproduce, first in the liver and then in the red blood cells.
Where can you catch malaria?
Malaria is particularly endemic in (sub) tropical areas. The malaria regions are the whole of West, Central, and East Africa and parts of southern Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Generally speaking, malaria is rare at altitudes above 2500 metres.
What are the symptoms?
The incubation time (the time between being bitten and the manifestation of the first symptoms) for malaria tropica is usually between 7 and 14 days. Early symptoms are:
- fever, shivering
- muscle ache
- headache.
In its early stages malaria is often similar to having the flu.
Protection
Effective protection against malaria comprises a combination of two measures:
- Mosquito repellent
- The use of anti-malaria tablets during and after the journey (prophylaxis).
The best course of malaria tablets to take depends on the region in which you are staying. In our Travel Clinics we can advise you on this and provide a prescription with which you can get a course of malaria tablets from a dispensing chemist.
