Who Imports Deadly Malaria Into The UK?

While Britons visit their kith and kins in Africa to relax and spent some quality time together, more or less consciously or sub-consciously natives of Britain bring home a deadly form of malaria with them.

Frequent trips to malaria-infested places like West Africa have resulted in an increase in cases of malaria contagion in the UK.

According to the British Medical Journal there has been a 30% increase in the number of malaria cases over 15 years.

Falciparum malaria is known to be one of the deadliest form of malaria. Mosquitoes carrying the plasmodium parasite are responsible for spreading malaria.

Plasmodium falciparum is wide spread in sub-Saharan and West African countries.

In Africa, malaria is an epidemic; it kills approximately 1 million people per year, including a child every 30 seconds and infects at least 300 million to 500 million people annually.

Often people who do not take malaria pills or other preventative measures while they are on a tour or before starting their journey to a malaria infested place are naturally more prone to become a victim of this lethal disease.

Only 42 per cent of Britons take preventive pills while traveling abroad, according to a study.

A Health Protection Agency examined 39,300 cases of malaria in the UK between 1987 and 2006 and found out that 20,488 people had been infected after coming back from trips abroad and 25,000 of the 39,000 had been infected by plasmodium falciparum parasite. The fatal malaria killed 183 individuals.

About half of the victims had visted countries like Nigeria and Ghana before falling ill due to malaria.

Malaria is difficult to combat because the parasite has become drug resistant. The parasite reproduces in the body of mosquitoes and when these mosquitoes bite, the parasite enters into the body of the host causing illness.

Surprisingly, post the mosquito bite the symptoms of malaria generally appear after weeks or may be months have passed.

Artesimin-based therapies like Novartis AG's Coartem work effectively to curb the growth of parasite in the host’s body.

Dr Jane Zuckerman, director of the World Health Organisation collaborating centre for reference, research, and training in travel medicine, insisted upon using religious leaders to spread awareness about malaria.