Malaria

Symptoms of malaria include:

• fever
• sweating and chills
• headache
• pain in muscles and joints
• nausea
• vomiting

Symptoms usually start 9–14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Sometimes symptoms start or re-appear months or rarely years later.

Malaria is spread to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the malaria parasite. Only Anopheles mosquitos transmit malaria. The mosquitoes become infected when they bite a person who has malaria. The mosquito is infected for life and can continue to infect other people.

Transmission from person to person is extremely rare and may occur via blood transfusion, contaminated needles and syringes or from infected mothers to unborn babies.

There is no vaccine for malaria available in Australia.

Travellers visiting countries or areas that have malaria should visit a GP or travel clinic at least 4–6 weeks before travel for advice on how to prevent malaria.

The best way to protect against malaria is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

• Avoid being outdoors at night when the Anopheles mosquito are most active.
• Take care particularly in rural areas, where Anopheles mosquitoes are more abundant.
• Cover up with light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves, long trousers, socks, and covered footwear when outside.
• Use an effective insect repellent on exposed skin and reapply according to the instructions. The best mosquito repellents contain Diethyl Toluamide (DEET), Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (also known as PMD; p-menthane-3,8 diol).
• Repellents containing less than 10% DEET or picaridin are considered safe for children, however, the use of topical repellents is not recommended for infants under 3 months of age. To protect infants less than 3 months of age, it is best to use physical barriers, such as having the child wear long, loose-fitting clothing or using nets on prams and cots. Repellents should be applied to the hands of a carer first, and then applied evenly to the child’s exposed skin.
• Use insecticide spray, vapour dispensing units (indoors), or mosquito coils (outdoors) to repel or kill mosquitoes.
• Use mosquito nets when sleeping unless accommodation is air conditioned or has mosquito screens on doors and windows.

Depending on the destination, duration of travel and medical history, a doctor may recommend and prescribe anti-malarial drugs. For some travellers, such as those who are pregnant, young children or people unable to safely take anti-malarial drugs, it may be safer to avoid travel to malaria affected areas, if possible.

It is important that anti-malarial drugs are taken as recommended, including for the recommended period after leaving a malaria-affected area.

If you become sick with fever within a year of travel to a malaria-affected region, it is important to tell your doctor of your travel and of the possibility of malaria.

Control

It is possible that local spread of malaria could occur in Australia if infected people travel to areas where the Anopheles mosquito is present. Public Health Units in Queensland follow up all people diagnosed with malaria to determine if any mosquito control measures are required.

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention- Malaria information and prophylaxis by country

For further information please contact your local doctor or nearest public health unit or 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84).