Malaria is a serious, and sometimes fatal disease which is cause by an infection spread by Mosquitos. People who are diagnosed with Malaria are typically very sick with high temperatures, chills, muscle pains and flu like symptoms. Symptoms usually appear between 7 to 18 days after you’ve been bitten by an infected mosquito. Sometimes you may not have any symptoms for months or even years after. Malaria is a hard disease to spot, but getting a diagnosis and treatment quickly is essential and can be lifesaving.
People are more at risk when travelling to certain parts of the world where the infection is common. This can be found in tropical regions including Africa, Asia, America and the Middle East. Malaria is not found in the UK but you are at risk if you were born in or travelled to a high risk country. People most at risk include pregnant women, young children, people over the age of 65 or if you have a weak immune system.
You don’t have to worry about catching it from another person as it’s not a contagious disease, but you may wish to take precautions to avoid catching it. If you are thinking of travelling to an area where the risk of Malaria is high, you may want to consider taking Anti-malarial tablets a few days or even weeks before you travel and until a few weeks after you get back. These tablets can reduce the risk if getting malaria and help keep you safe whilst travelling.
