Malaria

Malaria is a serious disease and you therefore need to protect yourself against it. Malaria is found in Africa, Central and South America, and Asia. Taking a preventive treatment is recommended before travelling to a high-risk country. There is no vaccine against malaria.

Malaria was once known as swamp fever. It is a disease transmitted to humans by the bites of infected mosquitoes. The parasite, Plasmodium, is transmitted exclusively by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. This parasite first infects the liver cells, before attacking the red blood cells and multiplying there. If it is not treated quickly, the disease can be fatal.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms can appear 7 days or more after a bite from an infected mosquito. They are flu-like in nature: fever accompanied by chills and profuse sweating, headaches, muscle aches, diarrhoea and nausea.

How can I protect myself against malaria?

To protect yourself effectively against malaria, there are 2 different tactics, which must be employed in combination:

• take a preventive treatment,
• take measures to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Preventive treatment

The preventive treatment is known as chemoprophylaxis. Only a doctor can prescribe an appropriate preventive treatment for you. The treatment varies depending on your destination, the season, the duration of your trip and the regions you will be visiting. If you are going to be staying in cities or at altitude, the risk of being bitten by an Anopheles mosquito is lower.

The type of treatment will also be adapted according to your age, medical history and whether or not you are pregnant.

As no preventive treatment is 100 % effective, it is also important to protect yourself against mosquito bites.

Avoid mosquito bites

A few tips to help you protect yourself effectively against mosquito bites:

• Wear clothes that cover your entire body, including your arms and legs.
• Treat your clothes with permethrin-based insecticides. These insecticides are non-toxic for humans, but highly toxic for mosquitoes, flies, lice, fleas, etc.
• Use insect repellents on your skin.
• Sleep under mosquito nets that have been treated with insect repellent.
• Spray an insecticide in the room where you will be sleeping, following the instructions for use of the product.
• Avoid travelling in certain regions during rainy periods.

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