What is it?

Malaria is a common and life-threatening disease that affects thousands of travellers every year. It is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, of which there are five different species worldwide that can spread the disease to humans.

Mosquitos that transmit malaria, normally feed from sunset to sunrise. Symptoms of malaria may vary but include fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches.

Risk areas

Malaria is widely distributed in tropical regions around the world, including parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Carribean and the Middle East.

All travellers to countries or areas where malaria occurs are at risk of infection. Migrants to the UK that were born in malaria risk areas are at high risk when visiting friends and relatives in their country of birth. This is because of an assumption that they have immunity from having being born there. Immunity however, disappears very quickly upon moving to an area with no malaria risk.

Prevention

Prevention of malaria follows four important steps:

• Awareness of the risk (understanding if travelling to an area of risk)
• Bite prevention (particularly at nighttime)
• Chemoprophylaxis (use of appropriate malaria prevention tablets)
• Diagnosis (prompt recognition of symptoms and treatment)

Choice of malaria tablets

The choice of tablets is dependent upon the type of malaria present in the area visited and if there is any resistance to any of the available medicines.

We can provide medication to prevent malaria that is appropriate for the area of the world you are visiting. We also make sure you know what steps to take to help avoid insect bites, including the use of WHO recommended insect repellents.