The number of malaria cases in Europe linked to global travel is on the rise, according to analysis published in Eurosurveillance.
A staggering 99 percent of the 6,131 cases of malaria reported in the EU/EEA in 2022 were travel-related.
Despite malaria being eradicated in Western Europe in the 1970s, local infections still occur in cases such as when local mosquitoes bite an infected traveller, mother-to-child transmission or Odyssean malaria.
Odyssean malaria is the name for when someone is infected by a mosquito transported by aircraft, luggage, or parcel from an endemic area.
Further analysis reinforced these travel-related findings, indicating that out of 145 malaria cases across nine countries, 105 were classified as airport malaria, while 32 cases were attributed to luggage malaria.
This assessment is based on studies conducted in Europe from 1969 to January 2024.
Data collected from public health agencies also showed one-third of cases since 2000 were reported between 2018 and 2022, suggesting the rate of infections is on the rise, even though air traffic declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the review of 145 cases, 124 recovered but nine died, and mortality was significant among older patients.
Despite the average age of infection being 37.9 years old, patients who died had a mean age of 57.2 years.
Most airport malaria cases occurred during the summer months, with a peak in August.
The review calls for improved surveillance systems to better classify and monitor airport and luggage malaria so that interventions can made.
Malaria can be deadly, and the NHS lists early warning signs and symptoms as:
- a high temperature, sweats and chills
- headaches and feeling confused
- feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children)
- feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhoea
- loss of appetite
- muscle pains
- yellow skin or whites of the eyes
- a sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing
The NHS website says it’s found in tropical regions, including large areas of Africa and Asia, Central and South America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, parts of the Middle East and some Pacific islands.
It cannot be transmitted from person to person.