Malaria Travel Guide: How To Be Safe When Travelling Abroad?

Spread by mosquitoes, malaria is a serious disease that can become fatal if it isn’t not treated quickly. Nearly 300 million people are infected each year and of those, more than 400,00 will succumb to the disease. Malaria is caused by a parasite and is transmitted by a mosquito biting an infected animal or person then biting another person.

It isn’t a disease you need to worry about much in the UK, but if you are travelling abroad to a country where it is more prevalent you should be cautious.

Where Can Malaria Be Caught?
You can catch malaria in almost 100 countries across the globe, making around half the world’s population susceptible to the disease. It’s more common in tropical and subtropical parts of Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Pacific Islands. Depending on weather conditions and other factors, it can be a seasonal problem or a year-round one.

Symptoms of Malaria
Within 10 days to 4 weeks of becoming infected, symptoms will start to appear. These symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue. You may also experience diarrhoea, vomiting, and headaches. If it isn’t treated right away, it can lead to anaemia, jaundice, and other serious complications like:

• Kidney failure
• Confusion or delirium
• Coma
• Brain damage
• Death

Malaria Treatment and Prevention
Malaria is treated with antimalarial mediations and you may require hospitalisation where your symptoms can be monitored and treated. It is vital to get medical help as soon as possible because the sooner it is treated, the better the prognosis will be.

If you are going to be in an area that puts you at risk of getting malaria, you should take certain steps to prevent infection. Wear long sleeves and pants and use mosquito repellant on any exposed skin. At night, keep your windows closed and sleep under a mosquito net. There is also an effective malaria vaccine you can get before you travel.

Before you travel, you can purchase anti-malaria tablets from Pharmacy Planet to help keep you safe. Buy Malarone Tablets, Lariam, and Doxycycline Tablets online in the UK and have your medicines delivered right to your door.