Research finds increase in malaria cases at airports and luggage

A recent study found an increase in reports of malaria at airports and baggage in Europe in recent years.

The international research team that carried out the study has identified 145 cases between 2018 – 2022. 105 cases were classified as airport malaria, 32 cases were luggage malaria, and eight cases could not be the classification.

Launch New York PostThursday (17/10/2024), more than a third of cases reported from 2000 occurred in 2018 to 2022. According to research published in the journal Eurosurveillance, the highest level of cases occurred in 2019.

Airport or luggage malaria is also known as Odyssean malaria. This name is because the disease often occurs in someone who has recently traveled to a malaria endemic country or region.

Travelers can be infected through mosquitoes carried in suitcases, on planes, or even packages.

Research reports that the majority of malaria cases occurred at airports in France (52), Belgium (19), and Germany (9). The victims are said to live or work near the international airport. At the same time, more men are affected by this issue.

At the same time, cases of malaria in pallets are rarer. It was reported that only 32 cases were registered during the five year study period. Just like malaria at airports, France is still at the top of the number of cases with 32 cases, and 3 cases each in Italy and Germany.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is the largest with nine cases reported.

Meanwhile, from data on 133 reported cases, 124 patients recovered and another nine died. The patients most susceptible to infection are those in their late 30s. At the same time, those who are vulnerable to death in the late 50s.

To deal with the increase in cases, the researchers recommend that airlines follow the World Health Organization (WHO) isolation procedures. The group recommends spraying pesticides in the passenger cabin, including the toilet area and cargo hold.

Experts are also urging doctors to consider malaria as a cause when treating cases of unexplained fever.

Malaria is usually found in tropical climates and large areas in Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and several areas in the Middle East. Malaria causes more than 400 thousand deaths every year. Most of the victims are children under 5 years and pregnant women.

Last year, authorities reported that malaria spread from mosquitoes to humans in the United States for the first time in two decades.

To find it, travelers need to understand the symptoms of malaria which include fever, chills, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue. However, malaria can be treated effectively if diagnosed early. If this disease is not treated immediately, it can cause jaundice, anemia, kidney failure, seizures, coma and death.

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