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Malaria while travelling? A real risk
[mis à jour le 20 May 2003 à 09h30]
There is still a very real danger of contracting the malaria parasite while travelling in an infected area. Even when properly treated, malaria is a deadly disease. Yet less than one in every two travellers follows a prophylactic treatment.
Malaria is one of the fatal diseases for which no vaccine exists, and this threat must be taken very seriously. A study based on Austrian figures published by the Eurosurveillance bulletin shows that we must always be on our guard.
In the ten years between 1990 and 2000, the Austrian authorities reported 924 cases of malaria following holidays abroad. Over eighty per year! The death rate was in keeping with that in our European countries: 12 deaths, or a lethality rate of 1.9%. Not very high? Above all, it is stupid, because upon closer examination it turns out that only 60% of the patients had properly followed a preventive treatment consisting of taking medicine.
Two lessons can be drawn from these figures. First, never skip the preventive malaria treatment. Reinforce this precaution by bringing along a mosquito-net and a repellent that is easy to use and recommended by the WHO. At sunrise and sunset, never go out without covering your legs and arms, and don’t forget to wear socks.
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