Hot and cold, swinging
Accompanied by headache and fever
……
I thought I had a cold
Actually, it could be malaria!
The Spring Festival is approaching
Recently, there has been a marked increase in the number of returnees
At the same time, it is also
Periods of high incidence of imported malaria
recently
Disease control departments in many places have reported the identification of malaria cases
and issue relevant reminders
Huizhou, Guangdong
According to Huizhou CDC on January 24, on January 19, the Huizhou CDC identified 1 case of imported malaria, which was determined to be falciparum malaria after microscopic examination, and the patient has been treated in time.
Yantai, Shandong
On January 18, Shandong Yantai CDC also identified a rare case of malaria, which was confirmed to be a co-infection of falciparum malaria and malaria ovale through microscopic examination and fluorescence quantitative PCR.
Xuzhou, Jiangsu
On January 19, Jiangsu Xuzhou CDC also issued an urgent reminder to returnees to be vigilant against imported malaria.
What is "malaria" and what are the symptoms?
malaria
Malaria is an acute febrile disease transmitted by the Plasmodium parasite in the human body through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito.
There are four main types of malaria parasites that infect humans: vivax malaria, falciparum malaria, malaria ovale and malaria malaria, in addition, Plasmodium knowlesi can also infect humans. China has been certified as a malaria-free country by the World Health Organization in 2021. Due to the cross-border movement of people, there are still a certain number of imported cases of malaria every year, and severe cases and deaths occur from time to time.
An acute severe malaria attack can cause coma, impaired consciousness, and multisystem failure leading to death.
Symptoms: Similar flow sensitivity
Failure to treat them in a timely manner has serious consequences
↓↓↓
Symptoms of malaria infection usually begin within 10-15 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito.
In the early stages, it is usually fever, headache and chills, and because the symptoms are similar to those of influenza, many people tend to mistake malaria for a cold, so they do not pay attention to it and do not receive timely medical treatment, which makes the condition worse.
If left untreated within 24 hours, falciparum malaria can progress to severe malaria and is often fatal.
In December 2023, one malaria death was reported in Taiwan. According to reports, from mid-October to late November 2023, the man had traveled to Nigeria but did not take malaria prophylaxis, and after returning to Taiwan, he developed symptoms of fever and chills, and had signs of severe illness when he sought medical attention.
The case was diagnosed with falciparum malaria on 1 December, and died the following day after suffering from low blood pressure and multiple organ failure, cerebral edema and septicaemic shock.
The Spring Festival holiday is coming
Some people will choose to travel abroad
Governor Xiong is hereby reminded
Be vigilant when traveling to these areas
Malaria-endemic areas are mainly distributed in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Americas, among which malaria is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Cases of malaria have been reported in popular tourist countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, and Myanmar.
In the World Health Organization's Malaria Report 2022, about 247 million cases of malaria were reported in 84 malaria-endemic countries in 2021, of which 619 000 people died from malaria;
These should also be noted when going abroad/returning home
Before Departure
You should learn about the malaria epidemic situation in the destination country, learn about malaria prevention and control, and consult the local customs or international travel health care center about the use of preventive drugs.
During an overseas trip
▲ Try to avoid going outdoors from dusk to dawn the next day (peak mosquito activity) in malaria-endemic countries or regions.
▲ Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants during outdoor activities at night, and apply insect repellents to prevent bites on exposed skin areas.
Use mosquito nets, mosquito coils and other mosquito prevention measures when sleeping.
▲ Once symptoms such as chills, fever, and diarrhea appear, you should seek medical attention in time to prevent the condition from worsening.
When returning to your home country
If you have fever, diarrhea and other symptoms, you should truthfully declare your health status and travel and residence history in malaria-endemic areas to the customs, and cooperate with the investigation of infectious diseases.
After returning to your home country
Returnees who have traveled to malaria-endemic countries or regions for a short period of time and develop symptoms such as fever and diarrhea within one month of entering the country should promptly go to a hospital at or above the county level for treatment, and inform the doctor of their travel history in malaria-endemic areas or countries, so as to be able to detect and treat them early and avoid life-threatening situations.
Returnees who have not traveled to malaria-endemic countries or regions for a short period of time are advised to go to a medical institution for malaria parasite testing in time after entering the country. If you have fever symptoms within 2 years after entering the country, you should go to a county-level hospital or above for medical treatment in a timely manner, and inform your doctor of your travel history to a malaria-endemic country or region.
Source: Chengdu Business Daily, Huizhou CDC, Xuzhou CDC,
Yantai Disease Control, Health Times, Chengdu Market Supervision