Malaria Buzz – Mozzies Don’t Care Who You Are!

Britain’s darling and X Factor celebrity Cheryl Cole recently contracted malaria after a trip to Tanzania.  She is reported to be on the mend now, and her illness has certainly helped raise awareness of health risks when travelling abroad.  She had taken a course of anti-malarial tablets before travelling, but some types of malaria are resistant to the drugs.

Popular TV and wildlife presenter Kate Humble (Springwatch/Autumnwatch) also admits to having contracted malaria twice, after visiting Zanzibar and Ghana.  So, be prepared, even if you only plan to visit a high risk area for a few days. 

The symptoms of malaria can be mistaken for exhaustion or the flu and often don’t appear until after you have returned home.  It is important to consider the possibility of malaria and tell your doctor if you have been travelling overseas.   

Malaria is present in dozens of countries of the world, and particularly in tropical and sub-tropical countries including sub-Saharan Africa, Vietnam, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka.  However, malaria has also shown up in parts of Eastern Europe, including Turkey, and in areas of the United States.

There are four main strains of malaria, which are all spread by mosquitoes.  Be aware of the symptoms and  seek help immediately if malaria is a possibility.  Symptoms may include fever, chills, shivering, headache, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea, and feeling generally exhausted and unwell.  If left untreated the disease can go on to cause damage to vital organs, and even death.  Depending on the strain of malaria you contract, the symptoms may start rapidly or symptoms may not appear until weeks or months later. 

One of the biggest problems is that the disease has become resistant to many of the currently available drugs.   Progress is being made, however, and scientists in the United States have used genetic engineering to produce a malaria-resistant mosquito where the malaria parasite is unable to develop inside the mosquito.

It is important to see your GP well before going on a trip to a high-risk area.  If travelling in lower-risk areas, such as Thailand, obtain advice on ways to protect yourself with methods such as Deet insect repellents, covering up with light-coloured clothing, and using a mosquito net at night. 

At the time of writing no general malaria vaccine is available, but antimalarial pills are normally recommended for travel to high-risk areas of the world.  If you do start a course it is important to finish it. 

Mozzies are not fussy about whose blood they suck – it doesn’t matter whether you have blue blood, are a famous celebrity, or an Average Joe on holiday.  As long as you have blood running through your veins you are a suitable target!  An interesting fact about these annoying little blighters is that only the female mozzie sucks your blood.

Those who travel to exotic locations or on safaris may not always take advantage of the medical help and prevention available to them.  However, it is worth remembering that there are millions of people in Africa who do not have access to prevention or treatment and regularly die from malaria.  For more information about malaria and a video visit Malaria No More UK - Click here. 

The Foreign Office also has an excellent section on Travel Health with tons of useful links – click here. 

Why not obtain a quote for your Travel Insurance – or low cost Backpacker Insurance.

Flickr cc Image:  dr relling