Urgent reminder! Imported cases of malignant malaria found in Luoyang

The 2024 Spring Festival travel rush has begun, and travelers from all over the world have started their journey home. The flow of people and collective activities have increased significantly, and the risk of respiratory disease infection has increased. Recently, the number of people returning home has also increased significantly, and disease control departments in many parts of the country have reported imported cases of malaria.

Recently, disease control departments in Yantai, Shandong, Huizhou, Guangdong and other places have reported imported cases of malaria, and even malignant malaria.

"Malaria is an insect-borne infectious disease caused by mosquito bites or blood transfusion from malaria patients. It usually presents clinical symptoms such as periodic chills, fever, and sweating, commonly known as 'shaking the body.'" An infectious disease prevention and control expert from the Luoyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that since the symptoms of malaria infection are similar to those of influenza, the consequences of not receiving timely treatment are serious. Especially in the case of acute severe malaria, coma and impaired consciousness may occur during an attack, and multiple system failure may lead to death.

Is malaria far from us? Monitoring shows that in 2023, there were deaths in Henan Province. Specifically in Luoyang, the number of reported cases in Luoyang in 2023 was nearly three times that of the whole year of 2022, and all the infected people were migrant workers, most of whom returned from Africa. Among them, the number of cases increased relatively around the Spring Festival holiday and the National Day holiday. In January 2024, Luoyang City found cases of malignant malaria among returnees.

The CDC reminds that the number of people returning to China increases before and after the holidays, and some citizens also plan to travel to Southeast Asia. During overseas travel, if you have symptoms such as chills, fever, and diarrhea, you should seek medical treatment in time to prevent the condition from worsening. When returning to China and after entering the country, if you have symptoms such as fever and diarrhea, you should truthfully report your health status and travel history in malaria-endemic areas to customs and medical personnel so that early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment can be achieved to avoid life-threatening situations.

Malaria is one of the most severe and widespread acute infectious diseases in the world with the longest history of epidemics. my country was certified as malaria-free by the World Health Organization in 2021, but imported malaria still poses a serious threat to public health in my country.

The 2024 Spring Festival is approaching, and many people will return home and travel abroad. While enjoying the joy of reunion, everyone needs to be vigilant against malaria infection and importation, do a good job in related prevention and control, and celebrate the Spring Festival in health.

1. Understand malaria. What is malaria?

Malaria, commonly known as "shaking", is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium parasites infecting the human body. It is mainly transmitted through the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes, and can also be transmitted through the transfusion of blood infected with Plasmodium and mother-to-child infection.

There are five types of malarial parasites that can infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi. They parasitize in liver cells and red blood cells in the human body respectively. The incubation period of different types of malaria varies, generally 2-3 weeks, the shortest 8 days, and the longest up to several years.

2. Where is malaria prevalent in the world today?

In 2022, malaria is prevalent in 85 countries around the world, with an estimated 249 million new cases of malaria and 608,000 deaths from malaria, mainly in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, etc. Among them, sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected, and India and Myanmar are high-incidence countries among my country's neighboring countries.

In 2023, my country discovered about 2,500 imported cases of malaria, including nearly 100 critical 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 due to different species, strains and degrees of infection of Plasmodium and individual immune differences. Typical manifestations are periodic chills, high fever and sweating. It may be accompanied by headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, etc. Splenomegaly and anemia may occur after multiple attacks. Fever of malignant malaria is often irregular and can cause severe attacks such as cerebral malaria, delirium, coma, and even death.

4. What should people entering and leaving the country pay attention to?

Before going abroad, you should understand the malaria prevalence situation at the destination. You can go to local medical institutions or international travel health centers for consultation and advice, and prepare protective equipment.

When working or living in malaria-endemic areas, mosquito prevention and control measures such as insecticide-treated bed nets, mosquito repellents, and wearing long-sleeved clothing and long pants can be used to prevent mosquito bites.

During your trip and for at least one month after returning home, pay close attention to your health status and seek medical attention promptly if you experience any related discomfort. When entering the country and seeking medical attention, you should proactively inform your travel history so that malaria screening can be carried out.

‧ After malaria is confirmed, antimalarial drugs should be taken in full and sufficient amounts as prescribed by the doctor.

‧ Malaria patients are prohibited from donating blood.

5. What should medical staff pay attention to?

Frontline medical personnel at all levels should remain vigilant about malaria, actively inquire about the epidemiological history of febrile patients, and promptly and standardizedly diagnose and treat malaria. Those who do not have the ability to detect and treat should seek assistance or refer cases in a timely manner.

Source: Luoyang News, Luoyang Media, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention