Travellers need to be aware of malaria risk
Publication Date:13/05/2008
At a time of year when people are making travel plans, it's important to be aware of the risks of malaria. Five British people died of malaria last year and experts have warned that, in certain parts of the world, people visiting friends and family need to be just as careful as independent travellers.
Here we explain more about malaria and advise you about the best ways to reduce the risk of getting it.
What is malaria?
Malaria is a dangerous disease caused by a parasite that grows in your blood. It's spread by mosquito bites, and is common in parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
Malaria causes flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, a headache, muscle aches, vomiting or diarrhoea. If someone with malaria isn't treated quickly, they can become delirious, have seizures or pass out.
It can take anything from a week to 18 months to become ill after being infected by a bite. Most travellers don't become ill until they're back home.
Last year, over 1500 British people caught malaria while travelling abroad, and five of them died. Sadly, more than 8 in 10 of these people hadn't taken the drugs that can prevent malaria, and others had taken the wrong drugs for the area they were travelling to. Most of these people were visiting friends or relatives abroad.
How can I avoid getting malaria?
Doctors sometimes talk about the ABCD of dealing with malaria. This stands for:
- Awareness of the risks
- Bite prevention
- Chemoprophylaxis (medicines to prevent malaria)
- Diagnosis and quick treatment, if you do catch malaria.
No treatment can protect you completely, so it's important that you try to prevent bites as well as using anti-malarial drugs.
Am I at risk?
Malaria tends to be found in tropical climates. There's malaria in over 100 countries worldwide, so make sure you check the countries you plan to visit, before travelling. You can find information using the National Travel Health Network and Centre website (http://www.nathnac.org). It's also a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist, or at a travel clinic.
Bite prevention
The best way to prevent malaria is to avoid being bitten in the first place. Sleeping inside an insecticide-coated mosquito net can help keep mosquitoes away and stop you getting malaria. Spraying your clothes with an insecticide called permethrin can also help.
Doctors also recommend insect repellents that you rub on your skin. A chemical called diethyltoluamide (DEET) helps protect against bites. But DEET can have side effects if you use it for a long time, such as difficulty sleeping or skin irritation.
It may help to stay indoors in the evening and at night, as most mosquito bites happen at these times. You could try wearing light-coloured clothing, because insects prefer landing on dark surfaces. Full-length clothes that cover you up might help too. But there hasn't been much research on these things.
Medicines to prevent malaria
Not all drugs work against all kinds of malaria, so the treatment you need will depend on where you're travelling to. Even if you've visited a country before, the drug you need might have changed, so it's important to check with a doctor before you travel.
It's also important to check how to take anti-malarial drugs. You usually need to start taking them before you travel, take them the whole time you're abroad, and keep taking them for several weeks after you get home.
Anti-malarial drugs can have side effects. These depend on the particular drug you're taking, but they can be quite unpleasant. Ask your doctor what to expect, and what you should do if you get side effects.
Some treatments to prevent malaria aren't safe for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women who are planning to get pregnant, or for children. If you fall into any of these categories, it’s best to talk to a doctor about suitable medicines before travelling. Pregnant women are usually advised not to travel to places where there is malaria unless it is essential. But if you do need to travel, there are medicines that can help protect you.
You can't always get anti-malaria drugs free on the NHS. Your usual doctor can prescribe the drugs, but you may need to pay for them. There are also private travel clinics you can go to.
The UK drug safety watchdog has warned people not to rely on herbal or homeopathic remedies to prevent malaria. There's no evidence that they work, and people taking them instead of anti-malarial drugs may be putting their lives at risk.
Treating malaria
In countries with good health care, most people recover from malaria with treatment. However, it's important to get diagnosed and treated quickly. Malaria shouldn't come back if it's treated properly the first time.
Even though malaria can often be cured, it's far better to prevent malaria than to treat it. It can be a very dangerous illness. In countries without access to good medical treatment, millions of people die from malaria each year.
What should I do if I'm travelling to a malarial area?
Get medical advice from your doctor, a pharmacist or a travel clinic before travelling to a country where there might be malaria. This applies even if you're travelling to see friends or relatives.
Make sure you follow the doctor's instructions about how to take anti-malarial drugs. You should also try to prevent mosquito bites as much as you can.
If you get a feverish illness within a year or so of visiting Asia, Africa or South America, treat it as an emergency. See a doctor straight away, and make sure you tell him or her that you've been to an area where there is malaria.
Some people mistakenly think that, if they were born in a malaria-affected country, they have a natural immunity to malaria. This isn't true. People could be putting their health at risk unless they take steps to prevent malaria.
From:
Health Protection Agency. Malaria remains significant issue for UK travellers. 25 April 2008. Available at http://www.hpa.org.uk.
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© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
