United States: The cases linked to ‘suitcase’ malaria have been rising occasionally for around five decades now, and currently, a sudden surge has been reported.
According to the health authorities, the disease is also known as Odyssean malaria, which originally transfers through the bites from infected mosquitoes and is generally transported by luggage or aircraft.
As per the experts, currently, a surge in cases has been reported in Europe. A recent study has announced that a sudden surge has been reported in the last five years, according to Daily Mail.
Malaria was effectively eliminated from Western Europe in the 1970s, and since that time, nearly all recorded cases have been traced to travelers who returned from regions where the disease continues to thrive.
Nevertheless, sporadic instances of malaria infections that were not acquired through travel are still reported annually.
These cases include what are known as “introduced infections,” which occur when a local mosquito transmits the disease after biting an infected traveler who carries the parasite in their bloodstream.
There are also “induced” cases linked to other transmission pathways, such as mother-to-child transmission or the phenomenon known as Odyssean malaria.
A systematic review spanning data from Europe from 1969 to January 2024 examined Odyssean malaria. The analysis included 145 documented instances from nine Western European nations, including the UK. Of these, 105 were identified as airport malaria, 32 as luggage-related malaria, and eight cases were either of these types.
The majority of cases were reported in France, Belgium, and Germany, with half occurring among individuals who lived or worked in close proximity to an international airport, as per Daily Mail.
Alarmingly, reports of both airport and luggage malaria have increased, with one-third of all cases documented within the past five years, even as global air traffic diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The researchers observed that the average age of those infected was 37.9 years, with men being more frequently affected than women.
Of the cases with a known outcome, 124 patients made full recoveries, while nine succumbed to the disease. The deceased patients were typically older, with a mean age of 57.2 years.
A similar pattern emerged in a separate study that analyzed local malaria transmission data in France between 1995 and 2022.
That research uncovered 117 instances of locally acquired malaria, with an increase in Odyssean malaria cases since 2011. Of these, 51 were classified as Odyssean cases.
Most patients were male, with a median age of 34.5 years.
Half of those infected were born in African nations where malaria is endemic, while the remaining half were born in France, as reported by Daily Mail.
The majority of cases occurred in the Île-de-France region, and over 100 of the affected individuals required hospitalization, with seven deaths recorded. Severe malaria and fatal outcomes were more prevalent among those with locally acquired infections compared to imported cases.
To address the escalating threat of Odyssean malaria, the authors of the French study emphasized the necessity for rigorous “disinsectization” procedures on airplanes to eliminate insect stowaways.
They further recommended that healthcare providers consider the possibility of local malaria transmission when diagnosing patients with unexplained fevers, even in the absence of travel history.
The authors of the comprehensive systematic review called for enhanced surveillance of malaria cases across Europe, urging the implementation of standardized case definitions and preventive strategies.
Of the 6,131 malaria cases reported within the EU/EEA in 2022, 99 percent were linked to travel, including some Odyssean malaria cases, according to Daily Mail.
Malaria remains predominantly associated with tropical regions, notably vast portions of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and certain areas of the Middle East.
The disease ranks among the deadliest global health threats, with a child succumbing to it every two minutes, according to the World Health Organization.
Most of these fatalities occur in Africa, where approximately 250,000 children die from the disease annually.
In 2023, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland collectively recorded 2,004 confirmed malaria cases following travel abroad, a significant increase from the 1,369 cases reported in 2022, based on government data.
Experts attribute the surge to increased travel and a resurgence of malaria in many parts of the world.
Classic symptoms of the disease include high fever, sweats, chills, headaches, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and muscle aches, according to Daily Mail.
In children, malaria can also cause extreme fatigue, lethargy, jaundice, a sore throat, and respiratory difficulties, as outlined by the NHS.
The NHS strongly advises all individuals traveling to malaria-prone areas to consult a GP, nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic for guidance before departure.