A quarter of Britons could be putting themselves at risk of a potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease on holiday this year, a GP has warned. 28 per cent of British adults will travel to malaria hotspots this year, according to new research from Asda Online Doctor.
Worryingly, however, a survey of 2,000 people found that only one in ten travelers plan to use insect repellent on their skin, while only 10 percent use mosquito nets.
And only 12 percent of respondents plan to take malaria tablets, despite the drug’s ability to stop malaria infection and prevent the development of symptoms.
The research also showed that Turkey, Brazil and Thailand are the top malaria destinations for British travelers this year, based on global malaria data from Travel Health Pro.
That’s why Kathryn Basford, a doctor at Asda Online Doctor, shared a simple method that uses the acronym ABCD to avoid the disease.
“The first step in the ABCD guide is to be aware of the malaria hazards in the resort,” he said.
“If there is a risk of malaria, the next step is prevention of bites using insect repellents and mosquito nets, and chemoprophylaxis, which means taking drugs such as malaria tablets to prevent infection.
“Finally, the ‘d’ is for diagnosis, so make sure you know the symptoms of malaria and seek urgent medical attention if they occur while on vacation or even a year after you return.
ABCD method:
- Risk Awareness – Check the risk of malaria in your destination before you travel
- Preventing bites – Since malaria is spread through mosquito bites, make sure you know how to avoid being bitten
- Chemoprophylaxis (antimalarial) – Malaria tablets help reduce the risk of contracting malaria if you have been bitten
- Diagnosis – If you travel to an area with a risk of malaria and develop symptoms while abroad or up to a year after returning, seek medical attention immediately.
He also shared the symptoms of malaria to be noticed:
- High temperature, sweating and chills
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Muscle pains
- Yellow skin or whites of the eyes
- Sore throat, cough and breathing difficulties.
Symptoms usually start to appear 7-18 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Sometimes you may not have symptoms for months after traveling and in rare cases it may last for years.
The NHS advises to call 111 or make an urgent appointment with a GP if you have traveled to a country with malaria and have symptoms of malaria.
Countries where malaria is a risk according to Travel Health Pro are: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia , Comoros, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq , Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mayotte, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo) , East Timor, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
