There had an increase in number of malaria infections recorded among residents of UK over the last two years by up to thirty percent. Over the last ten years most of the infections have occurred among people those visited South Asia or West Africa. The Health Protection Agency is warning travelers to listen to instruction on how to avoid malaria.
Malaria is the world’s second biggest killer. It is a distressing disease in the developing world that account for twenty percent of childhood deaths in Africa. It is spread by mosquitoes in tropical areas but cannot be transmitted directly from person to person. The symptoms include a fever, flu-like illness, shaking, headache, muscle aches and tiredness, in addition to nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
There are numerous dissimilar types of malaria, but most deaths are cause by Plasmodium falciparum. In year 2008, nearly two hundred and fifty million cases of malaria with almost one million deaths were recorded. In years 2010 about forty percent of inhabitants of UK those contracted the disease had visited either Nigeria or Ghana.
Those travelers may not have required or were unable to take advice on prevention of malaria and those kinds of travelers seem to be more at risk as they usually stay for longer than other visitors like those who were businessman. They also tend to stay with friends and families rather than in hotels or resorts.
Therefore they are exposed to the similar risk of contracting the disease like local people. The statistics released on World Malaria Day are timely reminder for travelers to take precautions against the disease. Anyone who is travelling to a country where malaria is present should take travel advice and suitable medication, explained Prof Peter Chiodini, who heads the HPA’s malaria reference laboratory.
According to Dr Jane Jones, head of the HPA’s travel and migrant health section, while malaria is a potentially deadly ailment, it is also one that is almost entirely preventable. Anybody who is planning to travel to a tropical destination should always seek advice from their GP before their trip.
It is a myth that people who have had malaria will not get it again. Their advice is the same for all travelers. Everybody must take anti-mosquito precautions and medication to keep safe, added Dr Jones.