South Africa: Number of malaria cases on the rise!

The South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has announced that the malaria-endemic regions in South Africa are beginning to see increases in the number of malaria cases. The start of summer generally marks the start of the malaria season, due to higher temperatures and increased rainfall in the malaria transmission areas.
Malaria transmission occurs in the north-eastern part of South Africa, mainly in the low altitude (below 1 000m above sea-level) areas of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern part of  KwaZulu-Natal. Limited local transmission may occasionally occur in the North West Province and in the Northern Cape along the Molopo and Orange rivers. Kruger National Park and Mapungubwe National Park are the only two National Parks in South Africa that are situated in malaria risk areas. The risk of malaria in both of these parks is usually low, even in the summer months.

Source: NICD; click on map to enlarge

The NICD is urging individuals travelling to malaria-endemic areas in South Africa to take the appropriate precautions. Travellers should consider taking antimalarial prophylaxis, particularly if travelling to high-risk areas. Both doxycycline and atovaquone-proguanil can be procured without a prescription from pharmacies and public sector travel clinics in South Africa. The following precautions will substantially reduce the chance of acquiring malaria but the risk is never completely removed:

• reduce contact with mosquitoes by limiting outdoor activity after dark
• cover up bare skin (including feet and ankles)
• use mosquito repellents containing at least 10% DEET
• ensure mosquito screens on windows are closed
• use bed nets, fans or air-conditioning, if available

All travellers returning from malaria transmission areas, including very low-risk ones, should immediately report “flu-like illness” (headache, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle and joint pain) that occurs up to three weeks after first potential exposure, to the nearest healthcare facility for a malaria test. Particular care should be taken with children, as symptoms are very nonspecific (fever, loss of appetite and vomiting). Malaria can rapidly progresses to severe illness, often with severe consequences, early diagnosis and treatment are strongly recommended.