Malaria: Know the Risks and Get Treated Fast

If you’re traveling long-haul, here’s another reason to make sure your travel health insurance is of good quality and up to date – malaria. Malaria is a potentially life-threatening illness that is relatively easy to pick up if you travel to at-risk areas. With swift medical treatment you increase your chances of cure.

Malaria is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes. The disease is prevalent in Mexico and Central America, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Check with your healthcare provider if you need anti-malarials for your trip and which one is best for you.

If you fall ill with a fever and flu-like symptoms such as shaking chills, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue when you are in an at-risk country, go directly to a doctor. If malaria isn’t treated immediately, complications like seizures, kidney failure and coma can cause death.

Make sure you have travel health insurance so you can be treated in a quality medical facility if you acquire the symptoms of malaria. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and if it turns out to be flu you can rest easy.