Malaria: what it is, how it shows and how to prevent it

What malaria is

Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquito, and it is most common in tropical countries. The World Health Organization states that the infection is caused by a parasite and does not pass from person to person. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that the parasite infects a certain type of mosquito, and most people get malaria from the bite of an infective mosquito. In other words, an infected mosquito bites a person, and the parasite enters the blood. Public health bodies describe malaria as preventable and curable, but only when it is recognised and treated quickly. The NHS adds that malaria is not found in the UK, so cases there are linked to travel.

How it spreads and where it is found

Malaria spreads through mosquito bites, not through touch, coughs or intimacy. The CDC is clear that people do not spread malaria to other people, as they might with a cold or flu, and that it is not sexually transmitted. Healthdirect Australia explains that the disease is common in parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Pacific and Eastern Europe. The NHS lists tropical regions including large areas of Africa and Asia, Central and South America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, parts of the Middle East and some Pacific islands. Two sources give useful proof that control can work over time. Healthdirect notes that Australia was certified malaria free in 1981. The WHO describes two core vector control interventions: insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying.

Early symptoms to watch for

Early malaria can look like many other illnesses, so the timing of symptoms matters. The WHO says the most common early symptoms are fever, headache and chills, usually starting within 10 to 15 days of a bite from an infected mosquito. The CDC describes early symptoms that can include fever and flu-like illness, chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. The NHS mentions a high temperature, feeling hot, cold or shivery, sweating, headaches and feeling confused, appearing usually between 7 and 18 days after a bite. Healthdirect Australia reports that people usually start to feel unwell about 10 to 15 days after infection, and that symptoms may be mild, especially in someone who has had malaria before.

Severe illness and who is most at risk

Malaria can become deadly if it is not diagnosed and treated quickly. The CDC says severe symptoms can include kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion and coma, and that starting treatment as soon as possible can often prevent severe illness and death. Risk is not shared equally. The WHO identifies infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women and girls, travellers, and people with HIV or AIDS as being at higher risk of severe infection. The NHS advises anyone with malaria symptoms who has travelled to a country where malaria is found during the last 12 months to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. That advice is about speed, not alarm.

Prevention before you travel

Prevention starts well before departure. Healthdirect Australia advises visiting a doctor or a travel clinic 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. The WHO states that malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medicines. Healthdirect lists the same two main ways to lower the chance of becoming sick: taking anti-malarial medicines and preventing mosquito bites. The WHO names insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying as the two core vector control interventions. Medicines and bite avoidance work best together, and the right choice depends on your destination and your health. A clinician can explain which option suits your trip. No single step removes all risk, so plan early and ask questions. The CDC also states that most people get malaria from the bite of an infective mosquito, so bite prevention and medicines address the same route of entry rather than two separate problems.

Reducing bites at home and abroad

Physical barriers matter when they are correctly specified, intact and correctly used. The WHO supports insecticide-treated nets as a core intervention, and such nets protect sleepers during the hours when the mosquitoes that carry malaria are most active. Indoor residual spraying is the other core measure named by the WHO, and it is applied to indoor surfaces by trained teams. Because malaria does not spread from person to person, the aim is to interrupt the bite itself, not to isolate a sick relative. Australia's malaria-free certification, noted by Healthdirect Australia, shows that sustained, well-run programmes can remove the disease from a region over time. The CDC explains that malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite that infects a certain type of mosquito, and most people get malaria from the bite of an infective mosquito, which is why reducing bites remains a core public health measure alongside medicines.

What to do if symptoms appear

Fever after travel is a reason to act, not to wait. The NHS advises people with malaria symptoms who have been in a country where malaria is found during the last 12 months to seek an urgent GP appointment or help from NHS 111. The CDC says malaria can be deadly if not diagnosed and treated quickly, and that early treatment can often prevent severe illness and death. The WHO notes the disease is preventable and curable. Say where you have travelled, and when. Do not assume a fever is a cold, especially in a child under 5, a pregnant woman, or someone with HIV or AIDS, groups the WHO names as being at higher risk of severe infection. Prompt assessment is the safest course.

Sources

• Malaria: World Health Organization
• About Malaria | Malaria | CDC: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Malaria - NHS: National Health Service (England)
• Malaria | healthdirect: Healthdirect Australia