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Cases of malaria among UK travellers rise by 30%
Malaria, spread by mosquitoes in tropical areas, is one of the world's biggest killers
The number of malaria infections recorded among UK residents has increased by nearly 30% over the past two years.
New figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal there were 1,761 new cases in 2010.
Over the past decade most infections have occurred among people who visited West Africa or South Asia.
The HPA is warning travellers to heed advice on how to avoid malaria, which is the world's second biggest killer.
In 2008 there were 1,370 new cases but the following year the numbers increased to 1,495.
In 2010, almost 40% of UK residents who contracted the disease had visited either Nigeria or Ghana, while 11% had been to India.
Travellers at riskThe HPA believes these travellers may not have sought or were unable to access advice on malaria prevention or had not thought they were at risk because they knew the area they were travelling to.
And these kind of travellers appear to be more at risk because they generally stay for longer than other visitors, such as those on business.
“Start Quote
End Quote Dr Jane Jones Health Protection AgencyIt is a myth that people who have had malaria will not get it again”
They also tend to stay with friends and family rather than in hotels or resorts, and so are exposed to the same risk of contracting the disease as local people.
Professor Peter Chiodini, who heads the HPA's malaria reference laboratory, said the figures - released on World Malaria Day - are a timely reminder for travellers to take precautions against the disease.
"Anyone who is travelling to a country where malaria is present should take travel advice and appropriate medication.
"Even people living in Britain visiting the country in which they were born or grew up, or have previously visited, are not immune from malaria and should take precautions."
Second biggest killerMalaria is a devastating disease in the developing world, accounting for 20% of childhood deaths in Africa.
Malaria facts
- There are several different types of malaria, but most deaths are caused by Plasmodium falciparum
- Malaria is the world's second biggest killer after tuberculosis
- Malaria is spread by mosquito bites
- It cannot be spread directly from human to human
- A billion of the world's population is at risk
- In 2008, 247 million cases of malaria with almost 1 million deaths were recorded
- The societies and economic development of the world's poorest nations are severely affected
Only tuberculosis kills more people worldwide.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes in tropical areas but it cannot be transmitted directly from person to person.
The symptoms include a flu-like illness, fever, shaking, headache, muscle aches and tiredness, as well as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Dr Jane Jones, head of the HPA's travel and migrant health section, says while malaria is a potentially deadly disease, it is also one that is almost completely preventable.
"Anyone who is planning to travel to a tropical destination should always seek advice from their GP or travel health clinic before their trip.
"It is a myth that people who have had malaria will not get it again.
"Our advice is the same for all travellers - you must take anti-mosquito precautions and medication to keep safe."
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Comment number 45.
chezza10025th April 2011 - 14:27
I've travelled to South Asia a number of times and have been told by my local medical centre on several ocassions that malaria tablets were optional.
I have always taken them just as a precaution even though they do make me ill for a couple of days.
I would have thought the publicity around Cheryl Cole's situation last year would have woken people up to the risks of not taking anything.
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Comment number 37.
Magic Hatter25th April 2011 - 13:18
Most medical centres have travel clinics attached to them these days so my recommendation would be to visit one of them before going abroad and get some professional advice.
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Comment number 21.
leng25th April 2011 - 11:05
We may need to remind ourselves how little man in UK thinks of own health needs before hand due to a perception good health is free. As a retired health professional, I have first hand experience of people who never take precautions to prevent many enduring health problems. Maleria is not the only issue, we see the same with measles, not to mention copd, and other enduring health problems.
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Comment number 13.
bluecat25th April 2011 - 10:11
I have taken malarial tablets everytime I have been to a malarial endemic country, surely it's better to be protected against malaria than to be susceptible just because of how much it costs? I don't see how protecting yourself from a severe illness can be too expensive. It's better to be safe than sorry?
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Comment number 4.
bombaytaxidriver25th April 2011 - 9:32
It doesn't help when told by your local GP nursing staff, reading from a standard issue Dept of Health list, that places like India (as a whole) are not on the list for malaria vaccine, and that you and your family don't need one - when I know very well I myself caught malaria in India, and we shall be staying near some back waters which are probably rife with malaria mossies!
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