Be vigilant for imported malaria
Travel healthily
Malaria is one of the longest-standing, most serious and most widespread acute infectious diseases in the world. China was certified by the World Health Organization for malaria elimination in 2021, but imported malaria is still seriously endangering public health in China.
The Spring Festival in 2024 is approaching, and there are many people returning to their hometowns and outbound tourists, while enjoying the joy of reunion, everyone needs to be vigilant against malaria infection and importation, do a good job in relevant prevention and control work, and celebrate the Spring Festival in a healthy way.
1. Understanding malaria and what is malaria?
Malaria, commonly known as "pendulum", is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, mainly transmitted by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes, but also through the transfusion of blood with Plasmodium parasites and mother-to-child infection.
There are five types of Plasmodium parasites that can infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium knowlesi. In the human body, they are parasitic in liver cells and red blood cells. The incubation period for different types of malaria varies, ranging from 2 to 3 weeks, ranging from 8 days to several years in older cases.
2. Is there a malaria epidemic in the world?
In 2022, there were malaria epidemics in 85 countries around the world, with an estimated new malaria case of 24.9 billion, of which 60 died due to malaria80,000, mainly distributed in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and other places. Among them, sub-Saharan Africa is the most severe, and India and Myanmar are the countries with high malaria prevalence among China's neighbors.
In 2023, about 2,500 imported malaria cases were detected in China, including nearly 100 critically ill cases and more than 10 deaths due to delayed diagnosis and treatment.
3. What are the clinical manifestations of malaria?
The clinical manifestations of malaria vary depending on the species, strain, and degree of infection with Plasmodium, as well as individual immunity. Typical manifestations include periodic chills, high fever, and sweating. It may be accompanied by headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, etc., and splenomegaly and anemia may occur after multiple attacks. Malignant fever is often irregular, which can cause cerebral malaria and other dangerous attacks, delirium, coma, and even death.
4. Persons entering and leaving the country shall:
What are the precautions?
Before leaving the country, you should be aware of the malaria epidemic situation at your destination, and you can get advice from your local health care facility or international travel health care center to prepare protective equipment.
When working or living in malaria-endemic areas, mosquito control measures such as insecticide treatment nets, mosquito repellents, and wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers can be used to prevent mosquito bites.
During your trip and for at least 1 month after returning to your home country, keep a close eye on your health and seek medical attention if you experience any symptoms. When entering the country and seeking medical treatment, you should take the initiative to inform your travel history so that you can be screened for malaria.
After malaria is diagnosed, antimalarial drugs should be taken in full and sufficient according to the doctor's instructions.
People with malaria are prohibited from donating blood.
5. What should medical personnel pay attention to?
Front-line medical personnel at all levels should maintain malaria vigilance, take the initiative to inquire about the history of fever, and carry out malaria diagnosis and treatment in a timely and standardized manner. Those who do not have the ability to test and ** should seek assistance or make case referrals in a timely manner.
Let us work together to disseminate knowledge about malaria prevention and control, ensure the health and safety of everyone entering and leaving the country, and effectively reduce the risk and harm of imported malaria.
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Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xia Zhigui, Yi Boyu, Dai Yuqi, Zhou Dandan.