Will You Need To Take Antimalarials For Your Summer Holiday?

The holiday season will be upon us soon, whether you are planning to jet abroad during the May half-term, the school summer break, or anytime over the next few months to take advantage of the bright sunshine and sky-high temperatures. 

If you are among the thousands heading on holiday soon, you will need to start getting prepared, which may include stocking up on antimalarials if you are going to a country that requires the medication. 

So, how do you know if you need to protect yourself against malaria on your vacation?

The first clue is whether you are going somewhere that has a problem when it comes to mosquitoes. The insects are not only irritating, leaving people with itchy bites, but can be very dangerous too. 

This is because the females suck on the blood of whoever they land on to help them mature their eggs. As a result, they can contaminate the victim, leaving them with an array of illnesses, including Zika Virus, yellow fever, filariasis, dengue and malaria. 

Mosquitoes are more commonly found in hot, humid environments, such as rainforests, wetlands, ponds, marshes, and swamps. 

However, you don’t need to be near water to get bitten, as they can be found anywhere warm enough – in fact, you can even get a mosquito bite in the UK! 

While many people do come back from their European holidays with unpleasant bumps all over their legs, the places that leave you at highest risk of tropical diseases from a bite are, unsurprisingly, in the tropics. 

Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and the Philippines are thought to have the highest numbers of mosquito species, while South Africa, South American and Asia have the greatest incidences of mosquito-borne diseases. 

When it comes to malaria, 90 per cent of all deaths from this disease occur in southern Sahara Africa. This is because it is caused by the Plasmodium Falciparum parasite, which is predominately located here. 

The NHS, therefore, recommends taking antimalarials if you are travelling to lots of areas in Africa to protect against malaria. 

It also suggests taking them if you are heading to Asia, Central and South America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, parts of the Middle East, and some Pacific Islands. 

Those most at risk of becoming seriously ill from malaria include young children, anyone over the age of 65, those with a weak immune system or no spleen, and pregnant women. 

If you are travelling to a high risk area, you should ask your home pharmacy for antimalarials, which you might have to start taking several weeks before travelling and should continue after you have returned. 

There are other things you can do to reduce the risk of getting malaria, including using strong insect repellent, particularly at dusk and around wetland areas. You should also sleep under mosquito nets that have been treated with insecticide and cover up in the evening. 

Travellers who begin to suffer from a high temperature, headaches, lethargy, tummy pain or sickness, loss of appetite, muscle pains, a sore throat, difficulty breathing, or have yellow skin or whites of their eyes should seek medical attention.