National Malaria Day
Prevent the retransmission of malaria
Continue to consolidate the results of elimination
2023.4.26
The "May Day" holiday is approaching, and many friends choose to travel abroad, and they should be vigilant against malaria while having fun~
April 26, 2024 marks the 17th National Malaria Day, and this year's theme is "Preventing the Retransmission of Malaria and Sustaining Elimination".
At present, the global malaria epidemic situation is still severe, with a large number of imported malaria cases still reported on the mainland every year, critical cases and deaths occurring from time to time, and the risk of retransmission persists. Although Beijing is an area with no risk of retransmission, the number of reported imported malaria cases is at a medium level in the country due to the large number of people entering and leaving the country.
The typical symptoms of malaria are fever, chills, and sweating, but the initial symptoms are often atypical, and there may only be fever, so residents with a history of travel and residence in malaria-endemic areas abroad should seek medical attention immediately after returning to China once they have a fever, and tell the doctor when to return to China, so as to carry out malaria parasite testing in time, early diagnosis and treatment.
More than 90% of the imported malaria cases reported in Beijing are falciparum malaria imported from Africa, which has severe symptoms and rapid progression, and can easily develop into cerebral malaria and life-threatening if not treated in time.
On the occasion of Malaria Day, we will popularize malaria knowledge to the general public, so as to improve the public's awareness of malaria protection and timely medical treatment, strengthen the timely detection and standardized treatment of imported cases, and reduce critical cases and deaths.
Malaria is a tropical infectious disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium parasite in the human body, mainly transmitted through mosquito bites.
01
Malaria-endemic areas
At present, the most serious malaria epidemic countries and regions are sub-Saharan Africa regions, followed by South Pacific archipelago countries, and falciparum malaria is the main epidemic, and most countries and regions in the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia are mainly endemic with vivax malaria.
02
The incubation period of malaria
Depending on the malaria parasite that infects humans, it can cause falciparum malaria, vivax malaria, malaria malaria, malaria ovale, and rarely Knott's malaria. The majority of cases returning from endemic areas abroad develop within one month, and falciparum malaria usually develops within two weeks.
03
Clinical manifestations of malaria
The typical clinical manifestations of malaria are chills, fever, and sweating. When you have a fever, your body temperature can be as high as 40°C, and after a few hours, you will sweat profusely, and your body temperature will return to normal after sweating.
However, some people with malaria have atypical symptoms, such as fever with tiredness, headache and body aches, such as influenza-like symptoms, fever with diarrhea and fever with coma.
04
Diagnosis of malaria
Laboratory testing can be done using a rapid test kit or a blood smear microscopy.
05
Treatment of malaria
Once malaria is diagnosed, medication should be given as soon as possible to prevent falciparum malaria from becoming severe malaria and leading to death.
06
Prevention of malaria
During the May Day holiday, if you travel or work in malaria-endemic countries or regions, the most effective way to prevent malaria is to prevent mosquito bites.
★ Try to avoid going outdoors during peak mosquito activity (dusk and night);
★ If you must work outdoors, you can wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and apply repellent to exposed skin areas to prevent mosquito bites;
★ Spray insecticides or light mosquito coils in the bedroom before going to bed;
★ Use mosquito nets, mosquito coils and other anti-mosquito measures when sleeping;
★ Houses are equipped with screen doors and windows.
Source: WeChat public account of Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Editor: Guo Lei
Review: Pan Huahong, Yan Yan