Going to the Rio Olympics? Read on for advice on 6 Health Risks

With their inflated salaries, multi-million pound sponsorship deals, mansions and flash cars, sometimes it is easy to forget that celebrities are human beings just like the rest of us. Money worries aside, they generally share the same concerns as everybody else and are not invincible superhuman characters that are immune to ill-health.

This was epitomised recently with the golfer Rory McIroy’s withdrawal from the 2016 Summer Olympics, taking place in Rio de Janeiro. Mcilroy sacrificed taking part in what will be the first golfing event to be played at the Olympics since the 1904 Summer Olympics, after being concerned about the outbreak of Zika virus.

This isn’t the first time a major sporting event has been held in the country in recent years, with the 2014 World Cup taking place there resulting in the entire England football team being prescribed antimalarial malarone to fend off malaria.

With all this in mind, clearly there are some health concerns not only in Rio, but other areas around Brazil, which both spectators and the sportsmen and women themselves need to consider when travelling over to the South American country.

Malaria

Malaria is a high risk disease in many parts of Brazil, making a resurgence in the forested areas of Rio de Janeiro State during early 2015. However, authorities reported that local transmission had stopped by mid-2015.

The potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus is actually at very minimal risk in Rio, and as such, International authorities do not usually recommend antimalarial medication for the area.
The NHS fit for travel Brazil malaria map gives a guide of which areas of the country are typically a high risk for the disease.

Those wishing the venture further out from Rio are advised to discuss this with their GP as malaria precautions are essential, and you cannot be vaccinated against it. Malarone or doxycycline or mefloquine is usually recommended for those visiting risk areas. If malaria tablets are prescribed for any given trip, it is important to continue once out of the risk area as directed.

In addition, people can do their best to avoid mosquito bites by covering up with clothing such as long sleeves and long trousers – especially after sunset, using insect repellent that contains DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) on exposed skin after sunscreen has been applied – such as Jungle Formula, and, when necessary, sleeping under a mosquito net.

Sexually transmitted infection

Individual sex work is legal in Brazil, and many travelling tourists may wish to take advantage of this. As such, Brazil’s one million sex workers will be looking to cash in on the influx of extra potential customers during the Rio Olympics.

However, it is worth remembering that Brazil is one of numerous countries in South America with high rates of sexually transmitted infection and HIV, although recent intervention from the Brazilian government has led to condom distribution increasing more than 45% between 2010 and 2011 (from 333 million to 493 million condoms).

Holidays may be viewed as a time to have fun, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of health. Medical Specialists® Pharmacy advise all UK travellers to pack good quality UK-manufactured latex condoms and use one each and every time sexual activity takes place.

It is also worth remembering that some are arguing that Zika virus should be treated as a sexually transmitted infection and urging the Brazilian government to do more to emphasise the practice of 4safe sex as a form of prevention.
Zika virus

Zika virus has been consistently in the news through 2016 and is an illness transmitted by mosquitoes. Around 80% of those infected with Zika won’t experience any symptoms, but those who do will experience symptoms such as mild fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue.

Zika poses a huge risk to pregnant women, mainly due to the fact evidence suggests it causes birth defects – in particular, abnormally small heads (microcephaly).

As such, those pregnant or planning to become pregnant are strongly advised to seek pre-travel advice from a health care provider 6-8 weeks in advance of travel. It is recommended that pregnant women postpone non-essential travel to Zika affected countries.

Apply DEET-containing insect repellent during the day and wear loose fitting clothing as mosquitoes can strike at any time in the day. Moreover, couples should use condoms whilst at the Olympics and for 8 weeks upon returning home.

Anyone who experiences Zika symptoms in Brazil, seek medical advice at the earliest opportunity. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus and those who feel unwell you should rest, drink plenty of fluids and take paracetamol to treat fever or pain.

Dengue fever

Dengue fever is a huge problem in Brazil. In fact, in 2013 there were a record 1.4 million suspected dengue fever cases reported in the country.
Travellers should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites due to the fact there is no vaccine to protect against the dengue fever virus. Using insect repellent and sleeping under a mosquito net are two ways to help protect yourself.

Rabies

Although rabies can be found in dogs, bats, and other mammals in Brazil, it is not considered to be major risk to most travellers. Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, commonly through a bite, scratch or lick on broken skin, and Brazil is deemed to be a ‘hisk risk’ country for rabies in animals by the World Health Organization.

It may just suffice to increase awareness of the rabies risk, avoid contact with animals (including bats), as well as report any bites for assessment.

However, those planning to stay in Brazil after the Olympics have finished, in order to travel to more remote and rural areas – i.e. for caving trips where immediate access to treatment is unavailable – may be advised to see their GP for a rabies vaccine, 4-6 weeks before travel.

Yellow fever

Similar to malaria and dengue fever, yellow fever is transmitted through mosquito bites. However, the disease is preventable by a vaccination, especially recommended to those who are visiting the highly popular tourist destination Igazu Falls.

With regards to low-risk yellow fever areas, travellers are still advised to apply a DEET-containing insect repellent to exposed skin and consider other mosquito-bite prevention methods, for both indoors and outdoors.

Just a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine offers protection against the disease for around 10 years, but must be administered at least ten days before a trip. Moreover, many countries require a yellow fever vaccination certificate before entry, although exemption certificates can be provided for people unable to have the vaccination on medical grounds.

Tennis Star Andy Murray Joins Fight against Killer Disease

British tennis star Andy Murray is used to facing battles on the tennis court and has begun one this week, as he bids to reclaim a Wimbledon crown he won so famously back during his highly successful period of 2012-13, when he also captured Olympic Gold.

However, one major, global battle that the World number 2 has been proud to join is the fight against the deadly malaria disease.

In 2013 Medical Specialists® Pharmacy reported how Murray had lent his support behind the non-profit charity organisation Malaria No More in a bid to raise both awareness and monetary donations to help the cause, such as funding for vital malaria treatment and mosquito nets.

This year, Murray will be proudly wearing the Malaria No More logo on his sleeve, showing his huge devotion to fighting a tropical disease that is present in around 100 countries worldwide and placing 40% of the world’s population at work.

According to the World Health Organization, about 3.2 billion people – nearly half of the world’s population – are at risk of malaria. Moreover, in 2015, there were roughly 214 million malaria cases and around 438 000 people died from the disease. Increased prevention and control measures have led to a 60% reduction in malaria mortality rates globally since 2000. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 89% of malaria cases and 91% of malaria deaths.

Speaking to the Huffington Post, Murray gave a passionate account of why he is working with the charity and gave a harrowing account of the very real and serious risk to life that malaria poses to millions of people worldwide.

“There’s no tournament on earth like Wimbledon and, after winning here three years ago, I’m looking forward to returning with the home advantage and the incredible support of my fans, and giving it my best shot.

“This year I’m proud to be wearing Malaria No More UK’s logo on my sleeve. I’ve supported the charity’s work to end malaria deaths for seven years now. Two things compelled me to get involved: firstly the devastating impact of malaria on children. This disease claims a young life every two minutes, yet it is preventable and it costs less than a pack of tennis balls to treat and help save a life.

As a new dad this really hits home. You can’t help but imagine how different things would be if you lived in parts of Africa where malaria is the number one killer of young children in your community. It’s unthinkable, yet every day more than 800 children lose their lives because of a mosquito bite. In this day and age, this should not be happening.

“I was also attracted to the malaria campaign because of its single-minded focus, raw ambition and drive to achieve the goal to end malaria deaths in our lifetime. These are qualities that I admire and identify with. With the malaria fight – and from my personal experience – resolute commitment and persistence deliver results.

“For malaria, there’s been record progress to save lives, with child deaths slashed by more than half, saving more than six million lives between 2000 and 2015. That’s more than the entire population of Scotland! This progress is thanks to increased financial commitments and global efforts, supported by UK leadership, which have allowed more prevention (including mosquito nets) and better diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

“I was really interested to hear in April the World Health Organization announce that the European Region hit its 2015 target to wipe out malaria. It’s hard to picture malaria across Europe, but only a hundred years ago you were at risk of catching the disease in nearly every country in the world, so this is huge progress. It gives me hope for the future – we really can be the generation to make malaria no more.

“This September will be a big milestone for the progress to continue as countries will make their pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the world’s biggest funder of programmes to fight and end these three preventable killers. With renewed commitment and enough funding, eight million more lives could be saved by 2020. I hope all countries, including the UK, will show continued boldness and leadership with strong pledges to save lives.

“In the fight against malaria, when funding has been reduced or stopped many countries have seen the disease return with a vengeance. We cannot afford to stand still or let any ground slip when so many lives and futures are at stake.

“Ending malaria is an incredible and achievable goal that we can all get behind – join me and support Malaria No More UK so that one day in our lifetime no parent anywhere will lose their son or daughter to a preventable disease like malaria. Donate to save lives at malarianomore.org.uk/donate.”

Modified mosquitoes to eradicate malaria?

Researchers claim they have managed to genetically engineer mosquitoes which can resist the malaria infection, doing it in such a way that can nearly ensure the trait will rapidly spread through a population.

Californian researchers have utilised a cutting edge new technique known as gene editing, a technique that involves precise placement of new DNA to enable specific desired effects.
The gene editing technique they used – called CRISPR – allows the new trait to quickly spread and almost guaranteeing the new gene will be transmitted to new generations, limiting the transmission of malaria to humans.

“This opens up the real promise that this technique can be adapted for eliminating malaria,” said Anthony James of the University of California Irvine, who helped lead the study.

“We know the gene works. The mosquitoes we created are not the final brand, but we know this technology allows us to efficiently create large populations.”

The new breed that the researchers looked at were genetically modified Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes – of which normal versions are a common carrier of malaria within India and the Middle East – will not be able to either carry or transmit the deadly disease.

The scientists at the University of California modified the Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes’ DNA with a “resistance” gene, placed into the ‘code’ via a common “cut and paste” gene-altering method known as CRISPR/Cas9.

The technique has previously been utilised to look at the safety of using pig organs safe for human transplants, and produce an HIV-resistant immune system.

Specifically, an analysis was conducted on the mosquitoes’ DNA to try and transmit malaria-fighting antibodies for the particular type of malaria infection that impacts humans that infects humans - Plasmodium falciparum. For the modified mosquitoes, the malarial parasite is either killed off entirely, or stopped from forming into a strain that could be deadly to humans.

The Californian study includes an optimistic future plan to emit the modified mosquitoes into the wild and then the theory is these mosquitoes would give the anti-malarial genes to their offspring, thus generating a resistance to the parasite.

Amazingly, the DNA was successfully passed on to 99.5% of the mosquitoes’ offspring in the lab; genes only have a 50% chance of being passed on usually. In addition, a tracer gene was added to the malaria-resistant one, which would make the modified mosquitoes’ eyes become a fluorescent red in colour.

With further research and development, the team of scientists at the University of California are optimistic they will be able to eventually engineer an anti-malarial mosquito population, helping to eradicate a potentially deadly disease that afflicts millions of people around the globe each year.

Don’t forget, if you are wanting to escape the wet and miserable weather in the UK currently, and are travelling to particularly at-risk countries for malaria, The NHS Malaria Fit For Travel website offers advice about antimalarials such as Malarone and includes a map to show what other serious diseases are rife in certain regions.

UK Malaria risk closer could be much higher in future years

Health experts are fearing that increasing temperatures and climate change in the UK could bring an influx of deadly tropical diseases to these shores in the next few decades.

Mosquito-borne diseases such as Malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus and chikungunya are primarily associated with being prevalent across Africa and Southern America, but could reach Britain in years to come, according to experts writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal by Dr Jolyon Medlock and Professor Steve Leach, of the emergency response department at Public Health England.

Confirmed cases of dengue fever, West Nile virus and chikungunya have already been seen in certain parts of Europe and Greece in particularly has witnessed high numbers of malaria cases as mosquitoes shift into new territories.

Conditions are thought to be warm enough for the Asian tiger mosquito to survive in Britain and this type of blood-sucking insect has already nestled in 25 different European countries, bringing with it dengue fever to Croatia and France, with chikungunya being spread to both Italy and France.

In France alone, there have been 200 cases of chikungunya, and by 2041 in London, conditions could allow for transmission by mosquitoes for one month a year in London by 2041 and for three months in the South-east by 2071 because of predicted temperature rises.

However, in the UK, climate change models are predicting higher temperatures and increased rainfall in the next few decades – offering mosquitoes “ideal conditions” to survive and spread their deadly diseases.

Remarkably, the UK is already thought to be home to up to 34 species of mosquito, with many f of these able to transmit malaria.

There is one climate model that shows that by the year 2030, southern England may generally increase in temperature enough for malaria to be transmitted for up to a third of the year. A different climate model even shows there could be conditions that suffice for malaria to be able to be transmitted for around two months of the year as far up the UK as southern Scotland.

“There is little doubt that climate change will affect vector-borne disease risk,” the authors warn in their paper.

They further state that despite climate change being a clear key issue in the transmission of diseases like dengue fever and malaria, other factors need to be taken into account, such as the availability of water for the mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

If you are travelling abroad and require malaria medication for prevention and treatment, Doxycycline, Malarone, Paludrine, and Jungle Formula Maximum Pump Spray are options worth considering.  In addition, don’t forget to check the NHS Fit For Travel website where you will find the recommended malaria medication for your destination.

Malaria fight backed by England’s football stars

They came face-to-face with the risks themselves during the 2014 World Cup when doctors prescribed them malaria prevention and treatment malarone, but now he England football team have thrown their backing behind the worldwide fight against the deadly disease malaria – a disease that astonishingly claims the life of a child every thirty seconds.

Back in 2007 the England Footballer’s Foundation (EFF) was established on behalf of the England football team, after their generous decision to donate all match fees and time to chosen charities.
Since the foundation began, the EFF has helped to raise more than £3.5million, been responsible for over 150 player appearances, generated three national advertising campaigns and created exclusive EFF events.

And now England stars such as Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart have partnered with Unicef – the world’s leading children’s organisation – in an effort to raise awareness and funds about the danger that malaria poses and the absolute importance of sleeping under mosquito nets for those at risk.

Those most vulnerable are the poorest children in Africa. According to the World Health Organization, in 2012, malaria caused an estimated 627 000 deaths (with an uncertainty range of 473 000 to 789 000), the majority of these being among African children.

To help launch the four-year partnership with Unicef to battle malaria, Rooney and Hart are featured in a poster, together with teammates Gary Cahill and Jack Wilshere, walking hand in hand with schoolchildren.

Globally, malaria is still the third single biggest killer of children, but sleeping under a mosquito net can help to save lives, and this is one important point that the campaign hopes to make at-risk people aware of.

A fundraising evening is taking place later today in London, which is expected to feature a number of England players, such as Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere, who will be in charge of teams facing each other for the coveted EFF Charity Cup.

The Three Lions’ skipper Rooney commented on the campaign, saying: “It’s unbelievable that every 90 minutes – the time it takes to play a football match – 180 children will lose their lives to malaria. As captain of the England football team I am hugely proud that we are able to help Unicef in its goal of protecting every child in danger from this disease.”

Backing up Rooney’s comments, England goalkeeper Hart said: “I am used to defending my goal net against some of the best players in the world, but for some children, being able to sleep under a life-saving mosquito net can mean the last line of defence from this deadly disease. I have always been a huge fan of Unicef’s work so it’s really amazing that through our Foundation we can help make a difference to the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children.”

Unicef UK Executive Director David Bull said: “The simplest way to keep children safe from malaria is to ensure that they sleep under a mosquito net, but many are still living without this basic life-saving need. The faces of the England football team are some of the most recognisable in the country so it is great to have them on board to help us raise awareness to tackle malaria and protect all those children in danger.”

Does malaria make you smell more attractive to mosquitoes?

Malaria parasites could change the way people smell and make them more enticing to mosquitoes, according to the findings of new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania State University in the US analysed the odour of mice with and without malaria for a period of 45 days.

To their amazement, the scientists discovered that the scent of the infected mice was significantly different to the mice without the malaria parasite.

The infected mice did not have a completely different odour, however the level of compounds already in the mouse odour was altered.

This was more obvious in the mice that were still infectious but not displaying any symptoms of malaria – an important stage of the parasite’s life cycle.

Professor Consuelo De Moraes of Pennsylvania State University and one of the lead authors involved in the research said: “There appears to be an overall elevation of several compounds that are attractive to mosquitoes.”

The researchers say it is likely that infected people smell more attractive but do not have any highly specific body odours, especially as the malaria pathogen can actually have bad effects for the mosquitoes themselves.

“Since mosquitoes probably don’t benefit from feeding on infected people, it may make sense for the pathogen to exaggerate existing odour cues that the insects are already using for host location,” said study leader Professor Mark Mescher.

Most interesting of all was perhaps that the researchers found that the mice that had been infected seemed to have an alteration in body odour – permanently.

Despite these mice no longer showing any signs of the disease, tests on body odour proved they were carriers of the pathogen.

Those involved in study think it is high probable that there is a similar effect in humans and are now recruiting volunteers in Africa to determine if this is indeed correct.

Professor Mark Mescher told the BBC: “One of the major potential values of this research is if it can help us identify people who do not show symptoms of the disease. Without symptoms people carry the disease without treatment and still transmit it.

“But there is still a long way to go. In mice we have a very controlled environment. In humans there are so many different factors at play – from diverse environments to diverse genes.”

As well as hoping to advance methods of preventing malaria transmission by mosquitoes, researchers also hope to find ways of creating non-invasive diagnostic procedures that would enable the efficient screening of populations for the malaria infection, which would find those who don’t necessarily display malaria symptoms but are still able to spread the disease.

2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil: Fans warned of dangerous health risks

The day is finally upon us! With only hours to go until the 2014 World Cup begins in Brazil, excitement has reached fever pitch and it is unlikely you will be able to walk down many streets in England without seeing red and white flags displayed to support the national team.

When we see these millionaire footballers such as Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard on our television screens, many probably see them as god-like figures, superstars with such vast wealth and fame that they are immune to everything else around them, whether it is criticism, scorching hot weather or disease.

However, underneath all the money and glamour, they are just human beings like the rest of us. Yesterday Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy reported how the entire England camp are having to take antimalarial Malarone to fend off malaria, showing they are still at risk of contracting any number diseases whilst in Brazil, as any other holidaymaker would be whilst visiting the particularly at-risk regions.

There are 12 host cities for the 2014 World Cup, including Manaus in the Amazon region where England begin their World Cup campaign on Saturday. Health risks for individuals in Brazil for the event will vary according to the stadia hosting the game, duration in the country, other places being visited around Brazil or other countries and leisure pursuits. In addition, age, pregnancy, pre-existing medical conditions and medications, are all issues to take into account.

Here Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy discuss some of the diseases that are common in Brazil.

Malaria

It is vital to disclose exactly which regions you are visiting in Brazil and the possibility of travelling to any neighbouring countries, as malaria risks can vary considerably. Arena Amazonai in Manaus is one stadium in a ‘high risk’ area for malaria, but the remaining 11 stadia are situated within ‘low to no’ malaria risk areas.

People are advised to increase their malaria awareness, take antimalarial tablets such as Malarone and learn mosquito bite avoidance measures. The latter is especially vital as there may be a risk of other mosquito-borne infections such as dengue fever.

Sexually transmitted infection

A staggering 3.7 million football fans are expected to descend onto Brazil this week, a country where prostitution is legal. As such, Brazil’s one million sex workers will be looking to cash in on the influx of extra potential customers.

However, it is worth remembering that Brazil is one of numerous countries in South America with high rates of sexually transmitted infection and HIV, although recent intervention from the Brazilian government has led to condom distribution increasing more than 45% between 2010 and 2011 (from 333 million to 493 million condoms). Holidays may be a time to have fun, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your health. Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy advise all UK travellers to pack good quality UK-manufactured latex condoms and use one each and every time you have sex.

Dengue fever

Dengue fever is a huge problem in Brazil. In fact, last year there were a record 1.4 million suspected dengue fever cases reported in the country. UK travellers should be aware that there is a risk of dengue fever in certain stadia to be hosting games during the peak dengue season in their area. All are found in the north-east of the country: Fortaleza (Ceara state), Natal (Rio Grande Do Norte state), Recife (Pernambuco state) and Salvador (Bahia state).

Travellers should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites due to the fact there is no vaccine to protect against the dengue fever virus. Using insect repellent and sleeping under a mosquito net are two ways to help protect yourself.

Yellow fever

Similar to malaria and dengue fever, yellow fever is transmitted through mosquito bites. However, the disease is preventable by a vaccination, especially recommended to those who are visiting the highly popular tourist destination Igazu Falls. Even if going into a low-risk yellow fever area, travellers are still advised to apply a DEET-containing insect repellent to exposed skin and consider other mosquito-bite prevention methods, for both indoors and outdoors.

Just a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine offers protection against the disease for around 10 years, but must be administered at least ten days before a trip. Moreover, many countries require you to have a yellow fever vaccination certificate before entry, although exemption certificates can be provided for people unable to have the vaccination on medical grounds.

Rabies

Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, commonly through a bite, scratch or lick on broken skin, and Brazil is deemed to be a ‘hisk risk’ country for rabies in animals by the World Health Organisation.

For those only in Brazil to attend World Cup, it may just suffice to increase awareness of the rabies risk, avoid contact with animals (including bats), as well as report any bites for assessment. However, those planning to stay in Brazil after the tournament has finished to travel to more remote and rural areas – i.e. for caving trips where immediate access to treatment is unavailable – may be advised to have a rabies vaccine.

England’s World Cup stars prescribed Malarone to avoid Malaria

With only three days to go until England’s opening Group D game kicks off against Italy, news has emerged that the whole 23-man playing squad are taking the antimalarial Malarone (Atovaquone Proguanil), in addition to 49 additional travelling back-room and administrative staff.

As the following Brazil Malaria Map shows (from the NHS Fit For Travel website) a large portion of the country is alarmingly within the red ‘high risk’ zone for the deadly disease malaria, including the city of Manaus.



Manaus is one of the host cities for the 2014 World Cup and incidentally is where England will begin their quest for World Cup glory on Saturday against the Azzurri, so it is therefore relieving news to know the entire England camp are taking Malarone – Easily one of Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy’s most requested medications from our Holiday and Travel range of treatments.

The Football Association spoke to an expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and decided the prescribing of Malarone was absolutely vital for the travelling party to Brazil, and all were administered with their first pill during breakfast on Tuesday, 48 hours before leaving for Manaus.

Malarone contains the two active ingredients atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, and is used for the prevention and treatment of malaria, a potentially deadly disease that is usually caused by the bite from a female mosquito.

The medication is sought by a high number of people who travel to high-risk countries for malaria, but around one in 10 people who take the drug can experience side effects such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and headaches. One might argue such side effects could be an annoyance if a key England player is affected before the game on Saturday.

However, Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy counter that it is more important that lives are saved, even if there is a risk of one or two players being ruled out of a game, and it is for such reasons that 23 players are taken for games where only 11 can be on the field at once!

It seems manager Roy Hodgson agrees. Although Hodgson didn’t take any Malarone when he visited Manaus in February for the World Cup workshop, he acknowledges the importance of antimalarial treatments such as Malarone.

When asked about any side effects of the drug for his players, he said: “It’s a question for the doctors really: I went to Manaus and I didn’t take any for the two days I spent there. That might just be something to do with the fact that I’m not a football player. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve got to go with medical opinion. If the doctors are telling me that, when we go to Manaus, the players must take malaria tablets, whether it has side effects or not, what do I do? I can’t turn around and say: ‘We will not take malaria tablets’ because the bottom line is it’s better to have stomach cramps or whatever it is for one player in 10 than have someone contract malaria, because that would be unthinkable.”

Andy Murray and Lionel Messi join campaigns to combat malaria

Famous sporting figures from around the world have offered their help in the battle against the potentially-deadly disease malaria.

Tennis star Andy Murray, who yesterday defeated Russian Mikhail Youzhny to reach the quarter finals of Wimbledon, has lent his support to charity Malaria No More UK.

Since their inception in 2009, Malaria No More UK have successfully pushed the coalition government to guarantee malaria is one of the key factors of its international development agenda and have secured a major coup in getting Andy Murray on board for their ‘Be The Net’ campaign – an interactive digital campaign to raise awareness about fighting the disease.

Murray, 26, spoke about malaria to the Huffington Post, saying: "In the past year I’ve won some of the biggest matches of my career but I’m still striving for the world to win the fight against malaria. Every minute a child dies unnecessarily from this disease, yet it is easy to prevent and costs less than a pack of tennis balls to treat. Be The Net is an easy way for us to come together and show our support for this winnable fight, something I am proud to support."

Members of the public are able to insert their face onto a virtual mosquito net via social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, or email and share the activity with their friends or family. Users can also develop their understanding about malaria and the huge challenges there are in combating the disease, in addition to being able email their local MP to show support in the UK’s help in battling malaria and decreasing the risks and deaths caused by it.

Arabella Gilchrist, Director of Communications for Malaria No More UK says: “This campaign is all about getting the public involved and empowered in a democratic movement to fight malaria – one of the best humanitarian investments on the planet. Andy’s the perfect fit for this campaign, he’s tenacious and persistent – Be The Net promotes the message that united we can win.”


However the tennis superstar is not the only sporting figure who is united in fighting malaria. On Thursday 27^th June, Barcelona and Argentina footballer and current FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi arrived for a humanitarian trip to the West African country Senegal.

Messi, 26, was there in conjunction with Qatari football academy ASPIRE Football Dreams to help promote mosquito nets for a new anti-malaria program.

The organisations new initiative – Football Combating Malaria – hopes to distribute an initial 400,000 medicated bed nets across 10 countries in Africa, but aims to have over 1,000,000 to people across the continent each year in the very near future. Nearly 1,000,000 people are thought to have cheated death over the past 12 years by sleeping under nets coated with insecticide.

Despite this, according to the World Health Organization, during 2010 malaria was still responsible for an estimated 660,000 deaths around the world.  The 660,000 deaths emanated from a staggering approximate 219 million cases of the disease, which is preventable and treatable through medicines such as Doxycycline, Malarone and Paludrine.

Around 91% of those fatalities occur in Africa, where most of the deaths are children under the age of 5. Tragically, about 180 children die because of malaria every 90 minutes – the same time duration as a football match.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Messi opened up about the plight of malaria, saying: “I am really delighted to come to Senegal. My commitment to be part of this battle against malaria is relentless. Whenever I have the opportunity to help, I will not hesitate. There is no doubt that I’ll co-operate with organisations involved in this initiative to trim out the pernicious effects of malaria.”

Dismay at the effectiveness of GSK’s malaria vaccine

The expectations and anticipation regarding the world’s first potential malaria vaccine have been dealt a blow after trial results demonstrated that the protection the vaccine offers, can significantly diminish and disappear altogether over time, disappointing researchers who had high hopes for it.

Developed by British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the new vaccine is currently only referred to as ‘RTS,S’. Scientists state that full data from final-stage trials which include 15,000 children, are expected by the end of 2014. However, early results from the vaccine are not encouraging and expose the difficulties in creating a vaccine that offers full protection from a deadly disease such as malaria that claims the lives of more than 650,000 children every year – the most ‘at risk’ group in regards to mosquito bites.

The vaccine has been primarily engineered to help babies aged between six to 12 weeks and in a large-scale phase III trial that was carried out last year, only a third of babies aged within this range were prevented from becoming ill after being administered the new vaccine. Moreover, the protection was lower than what was evident in older children.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, worth an estimated £40bn, was one of the backers behind the research, and after those results emerged last year he commented: “The efficacy came back lower than we had hoped, but developing a vaccine against a parasite is a very hard thing to do.”

Christopher Plowe, a malaria researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States, who was not involved in the RTS,S trial, also spoke on the findings last year, saying: “The results are kind of disappointing because we’d all like to see a malaria vaccine that has closer to 80 percent or 100 percent efficacy.”

Results of the latest data were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although the RTS,S vaccine was found to have a rate of protecting peaking at 53%, after an average of merely eight months, the level of protection had declined at an alarming rate.

Ally Olotu of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya, who led the follow-up study, said: “It was a bit surprising to see the efficacy waned so significantly over time. In the fourth year, the vaccine did not show any protection.”

A GSK spokesperson commented on the latest results, stating that because they were derived from a small, mid-stage trial, they did not “provide definitive answers about the duration of protection or how the vaccine candidate works in different malaria transmission settings.”

Phillip Bejon, a researcher at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust programme, was involved with the study and he said in spite of the decreasing effectiveness, “there is still a clear benefit to the vaccine.”

Bejon added: “Many of the children (in Africa) will experience multiple episodes of clinical malaria infection, but overall we found that 65 cases of malaria were averted over the four-year period for every 100 children vaccinated. We now need to look at whether offering a vaccine booster can sustain efficacy for longer.”

Travellers need strong vigilance against malaria and typhoid fever

In recent years more and more Brits have become fed up of the freezing cold temperatures over the winter season and many even decide to jet off to sunnier climates and areas such as the Tropics, where necessities to stave off the cold such as electric blankets, hot water bottles and a piping hot brew are simply not required!

Upon arriving back in the UK though, what would you do if you begin to feel unwell after a week or two of being back? In these instances, symptoms such as muscular aches/pains, diarrhoea, vomiting and a high temperature are commonly (and usually incorrectly) blamed on simple problems such as seasonal flu or food poisoning from out-of-date food or a dodgy takeaway meal. In fact, some of these symptoms are not too dis-similar to those suffered by over a million Brits recently with the norovirus epidemic which is still rife in many areas.

However, if you are feeling slightly under the weather after a visit to tropical regions such as West Africa, Southeast Asia, India, the Caribbean, etc., then it could be a cause for concern and something more serious than just a seasonal flu or food poisoning.

The findings of one particular study, published online yesterday in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, have suggested that travel illnesses such as malaria and typhoid ought to be discussed with your GP following a visit to a tropical climate. In addition though, Medical Specialists Pharmacy strongly advise that these and many other travel illnesses such as traveller’s diarrhoea and dengue also be discussed, before travelling to your destination where there may be a high risk of such diseases.  To prevent contracting malaria, there are numerous antimalarial medications available from Medical Specialists for anybody visiting a country of risk. These include Doxycycline, Paludrine and Malarone – with the latter also able to treat the disease if you should get it.

University of Oslo researcher Mogens Jensenius, MD, PhD, and his team looked at the GeoSentinel surveillance network database to attain an incredible 15 years worth of information; this comprising of data contained on 82,825 returning travellers from Europe, North America, Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. All had requested treatment for different health problems from June 1996 through to August 2011. It was ascertained that 4.4% (3,655) of these people had contracted either malaria, typhoid fever, or another type of deadly tropical disease. In total, 13 deaths were documented from the 3,655 patients and 10 of these were due to malaria.

Malaria was actually the most prevalent of the tropical diseases, seen in 76.9% of the diagnoses. The disease is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. The parasite is passed on to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. Symptoms include muscular pain, headaches, diarrhoea, vomiting, severe sweats and chills and a fever of 38C (100.4F) or more.  

The second most common tropical disease was typhoid fever. Caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium, it is an infection that may spread through the body after the person consumes food or water that has been contaminated with a small amount of infected faeces or urine. Symptoms include stomach pain and rashes in the first week of illness. During the second week, the sufferer will likely experience a worsening of symptoms that can include abdominal pain, weight loss and a fever that increases in temperature to about 39–40C (103–104F).

Both conditions are fatal without a prompt diagnosis and treatment; however those who contract malaria are more likely to die than those who contract typhoid fever, which can be treated in merely a few days with antibiotics.

Surprisingly, not one of the 80,000 had caught the often-fatal Ebola virus – one of the top-feared diseases in travellers due to its 90% fatality rate. ‘Ebola haemorrhagic fever’ as it is also known, occurs mainly via outbreaks within remote villages in Central and West Africa that are close to tropical rainforests.

Researcher Mogens Jensenius commented on the findings in the study, stressing just how serious the issue of tropical diseases is. He said: “While diagnosis and treatment of malaria and typhoid fever and many other tropical diseases have improved greatly over the years, people still can die from them if they are not treated quickly after their symptoms begin. Doctors and nurses in Western countries need to be vigilant in considering these potentially life-threatening tropical infections in recently-returned travellers with fevers, and identify and treat them quickly.”

New mosquito threatens to bypass current safety measures

A potentially dangerous new malaria transmitting mosquito has been discovered in Kenya by scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. This species, which has previously been unknown, poses a threat because it bites humans at times when they are not protected by current malaria control techniques.

The commonly caught Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria in Africa generally prefer to rest indoors and feed on humans at night. This led to the development of programmes to stop the spread of malaria, such as spraying insecticide in homes and issuing bed nets for people to sleep under. However, this mosquito was found to be active outdoors and bite people, earlier in the evening and soon after sunset.

Researchers said the discovery is worrying because the insect does not behave like normal mosquitoes. Already nearly one million people a year die from malaria caused by bites. But that number would be much higher if not for mosquito nets.

They prevent the female Anopheles, the main cause of the disease from biting at night, when it sucks blood as part of its egg production cycle. Nearly one million people are thought to have cheated death over the past 12 years by sleeping under nets coated with insecticide.

The new type of mosquito, however, does not wait until night time; it bites while people are outdoors in the early evening. Even more worrying for the scientists is that they are as yet unable to match the DNA of the new species to any existing mosquito variety.

Jennifer Stevenson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who was part of the research group, said, “We observed that many mosquitoes we caught including those infected with malaria did not physically resemble other known malaria mosquitoes. Analysis indicated that their DNA differed from sequences available for known malaria transmitting mosquitoes in Africa.”

Researchers are worried that the daytime feeding pattern of the new tropical bug, posed a serious challenge to controlling the disease. Andrew Griffiths, from the children’s charity World Vision, said, “The findings are a setback in the worldwide battle against malaria. It’s concerning because bed nets are one of the most important tools in combating malaria and we’ve seen deaths go down dramatically.”

He added, “That while nets are not the only answer to reducing the incidence of the disease, they are one of the main ways. It would mean that one of the important parts in the response to malaria would be taken away. We have to be talking about protecting yourself at different times of the day and put even more focus on the community and other systems, without too much reliance on bed nets.”

The researchers concluded by saying that, “As these mosquitoes had so far been seen only in one location in Kenya, it was essential that tourists still protected themselves with a mosquito net, treated with a long lasting insecticidal treatment whilst travelling.”

Potentially fatal West Nile Virus sweeps across America

Have you ever heard of the ‘West Nile Virus’? If not, you probably will this week as news has emerged of the highly deadly mosquito-borne disease that is causing hundreds of deaths in the United States and health officials are bracing themselves for what could be the worst year ever for the particular virus.

The West Nile Virus (WNV) received its name after first being identified in the West Nile sub-region of the East African nation of Uganda in 1937. The condition ends up eventually effecting humans after a person is bitten by a mosquito that has previously bitten an infected bird. It is thought that the majority of cases of WNV are not serious and have no symptoms. The milder form of the disease is segregated as ‘West Nile fever’.

However, generally one in five people will feel unwell and the early symptoms are very similar to another mosquito-related disease, Malaria. They include headache, muscle aches, fever, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite. These milder flu-like symptoms will usually last for around 3-6 days. Unfortunately, there is one in 150 who go on to develop more severe symptoms, which can be sometimes life-threatening. The more serious cases can see the sufferer experience disorientation, loss of consciousness, stiffness to the neck and even paralysis.

Before the mid-1990s, WNV was relatively uncommon and not considered to be a huge risk for humans. Then in 1994, Algeria was hit with an outbreak of the virus and then Romania witness a similar occurrence in 1996. In fact it was not until 1999 that the Western Hemisphere first witnessed a case of the disease, when a diagnosis was made in New York City.

Since then, the problem has become global, which brings us to the present day. Since the beginning of 2012 there have been 118 deaths that are connected to West Nile virus according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  This has gone up from a figure of 87 reported on 2 September, meaning the death toll is rapidly increasing. The number of cases to be reported this year in total stands at 2,636 and on 2 September the number stood at 1,993, a 32% increase in less than a fortnight.

The primary area of danger appears to be in the state of Texas which is accountable for 40% of all of the latest human cases of the disease, the CDC confirmed. Other states in the U.S. that have been breakouts of the disease include Louisiana, South Dakota, Mississippi, Michigan and Oklahoma.
The previous most deadly year of the WNV came a decade ago in 2002 when approximately 3,000 severe cases of the virus were reported, resulting in 284 fatalities. Many of the deaths occur because of the fatal complications that can eventually develop, such as meningitis or encephalitis.

On the CDC website, it states: “The 2,636 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the second week in September since 2003.” The risks show no sign of slowing though, with Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases for the CDC commenting, “We are still seeing many, many new cases continue to come in”, adding that the number of deaths is predicted to keep on rising.

Heatwaves caused by climate change could kill 11,000 by 2080

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) have released warnings this week that paint a bleak future for our children, grandchildren, and those of us who may still be around in the year 2080. They claim that by this year, the effects of global warming could cause heat-related fatalities to rise by up to 70% in the 2020s, and then sky-rocket to an astonishing 540% by 2080.

In just 68 years’ time climate change could cause catastrophic heatwaves that will result in 11,000 deaths each year, up from the current figure of around 2,000. The people who are succumbing to high temperatures at the moment are primarily the elderly and vulnerable who may struggle to cool themselves down.

The HPA say that the old and those confined to hospital beds will find it difficult to cope by 2080 with expected temperature increases of 10C across towns and cities. It is believed that temperatures may peak at a staggering 40C (104F) in London during the summer seasons. Those with lung or heart disease are particularly at high risk.

HPA chairman Dr David Heymann spoke on the issue and said, “There is no doubt that climate change poses a wide range of challenges to public health in the UK. From increased risks of heatwaves through to potentially greater exposure to air pollution, indoors and outdoors, and potential changes to established pollen seasons, there are many issues, all of which need further research and attention if we are to adapt to or mitigate the effects.”

The ‘potential changes’ Dr Heymann refers to will have a direct impact on those with hay fever specifically who will see their suffering extended due to an earlier start to the pollen season, and it will then finish at a later month than usual. Dr Heymann continued, “We are confident that this report will provide all government departments with the further information they need to properly prioritise areas for future work and protect the UK public from the significant looming health challenges that climate change presents.”

More misery is expected for hay fever sufferers in the form of an allergenic form of pollen with more potency due to grass flowering earlier on in the year. On top on this, ragweed, a plant that emanates from the U.S., is likely to become prominent across the south in Britain. Professor Roy Kennedy of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit has claimed that the ragweed can emit millions of pollen grains and cause a flare-up in symptoms for those with hay fever as well as asthma in people who have never even suffered with the lung condition previously.

However, it gets worse. Presently, effective medication such as Malarone is used for the prevention and treatment of Malaria, first taken 1-2 days before travelling to various tropical and subtropical countries that are at high risk of the disease. In 2080 though, the risks may be a little closer to home!

By this point, increasing temperatures may result in Brits contracting exotic illnesses in their own country as new species of mosquito carrying tropical diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya could migrate north and over to the UK, causing chaos for millions. If this occurs then Medical Specialists can expect an even bigger surge in enquiries about Malarone after already being inundated with many requests during 2012.

The HPA have now advised the government to take the warnings seriously and consider improvements in infrastructure so that all homes and hospitals are better able to manage with the soaring temperatures.

New single dose Malaria drug in development

A recently discovered compound from the aminopyridine class, code named MMV390048 has shown potent activity against multiple points in the malaria parasite’s life cycle.

This means that it not only has the potential to become part of a single dose cure, but it might also be able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person. On this basis it was selected by the MMV Expert Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC), for further development, making it the first compound researched on African soil to enter pre-clinical development in partnership with MMV.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), each year between 149 million and 274 million people contract malaria, and about 655,000 people die from it. Here at Medical Specialists News we only reported earlier this month, on how many Britain’s are contracting malaria whilst abroad, due to not taking or not completing an anti-malarial course of medication.

The fact MMV390048 could be part of a single dose cure could prove effective, as current anti-malarial drugs need to be taken before, during and after entering a malaria zone. Malarone for example, needs to be taken two days before entering a malaria zone, for the duration of the holiday and then for seven days after returning home.

However other anti-malarial drugs need to be taken up to three weeks before travel and up to four weeks on return. This is where some Britain’s have slipped up and ended up suffering from malaria, because they have failed to start the course early enough or they have failed to finish the course. Obviously this is where a single dose cure such as MMV390048 could prove invaluable.

The aminopyridine series was initially identified by Griffith University scientists in Australia, as part of MMV’s extensive malaria screening campaign of around 6 million compounds. A team of scientists from the University of Cape Town’s Drug Discovery and Development Centre in South Africa, led by Professor Kelly Chibale, then scrutinised and explored the antimalarial potential of the series further.

With parasitological and pharmacological support from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Monash University, respectively, Professor Kelly’s team selected the most promising compounds from the series to be optimized and re-tested. In just 18 months the team had identified and developed a candidate, suitable for preclinical development.

Careless Brits dying from Malaria

Whilst we would like to think that we are well educated as regards the risks of contracting malaria when travelling, recent statistics show that many Brits are failing to take the necessary precautions. As a result of this there has been a steady increase since 2007 of Brits contracting malaria whilst abroad.

According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) the cases of British citizens contracting malaria has increased by over 33% from 2010 to 2011, and more worrying still is the amount of deaths caused by malaria which has nearly doubled.

The reasons for this are many and varied, there has been a large increase in the amount of British people travelling to more exotic locations such as India and West Africa. Added to that is the fact that every year around 2000 Brits come back to the UK suffering from malaria due to not taking any malaria medications.

The reason behind these worrying figures seems to be a lack of education regarding malaria and how dangerous, even how fatal it can be. Some British people do not even realise that they are even entering a malaria zone whilst others do realize but don’t consider malaria to pose a serious threat to their health. Then there are those that think that applying insect spray or sleeping under a mosquito net will be sufficient.

Some people are worried about the possible side effects of anti malaria drugs so avoid taking them, others mistakenly believe that because they have had malaria before or because they have lived in a malaria zone years earlier that they are immune. Another reason is people failing to finish the course of malaria treatment, Malarone for example needs to be taken for seven days after returning.

The NHS advises that if travelling abroad to seek your GP’s advice on which medicine is most suited to both yourself, to where you are going and to make sure your children are given the appropriate paediatric dose. The advice is to also take precautions to avoid getting bit in the first place, this can be done by using an insect repellent (containing 50% deet), using a mosquito net when asleep, keeping bare skin covered up and avoiding being outside between dusk and dawn, the time when mosquitoes are most active.

The Health Protection Agency has stressed the point however that none of these preventative measure can guarantee that you will not get bit, and whilst these measures are certainly worth taking it must be remembered that just one bite is enough to contract malaria.

Therefore this stresses the importance of taking anti malaria drugs, which if taken correctly for the full course can protect you from this potentially fatal disease. Malaria is a completely preventable disease for Britains travelling abroad according to the World Health Organisation, it seems however all that is needed to prevent further Britains contracting malaria is better education.

FDA gives the green light for HIV preventive medication

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is one of the world’s most deadly infections. It starts by attacking the body’s immune system (our natural defence against infection and disease). If left untreated, HIV can then develop into AIDS, meaning the sufferer is at a very high risk of catching infections due to the weakened immune system and in particularly the risk of pneumonia or cancer is huge. The disease is primarily transmitted by unprotected sex, contaminated blood transfusions and hypodermic needles, or from an infected mother to baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

In 2010 it was estimated that 34 million people around the world have HIV. It is especially prominent in middle to low income countries, however even in the UK it is believed 86,500 people have HIV and in 2009 there were 6,630 new cases diagnosed. The disease is often described as a ‘pandemic’ and is one of a number of conditions that is a massive global issue for health authorities to try and tackle such as asthma, malaria, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

With all this in mind, a milestone may have been reached on Monday when U.S. health regulators the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave their approval to an existing medication to be used as a preventive measure, which could potentially drastically reduce the risk of contracting HIV. ‘Truvada’ as it is named, is a small blue tablet that is to be taken once daily. It has been manufactured by the Californian pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences since 2004 for those who already have the virus.


Indeed one study conducted back in 2010 showed that Truvada reduced the risk of HIV in healthy gay men by 42% when used with condoms and the men were given counselling as well. Also in a clinical study involving heterosexual couples in Africa, a 75% decrease in transmission rates was evident. For this study, one partner had HIV, whilst the other did not.

Before receiving a prescription for the medication, patients must undergo a HIV test to make sure they do not already have the disease. There are concerns that the virus could develop a resistance to the drug, which those who are currently infected already take together with another drug. One major stumbling block for the average person will obviously be the financial aspect of the medication. Gilead Sciences say that just one year’s supply will set you back a whopping $13,900. Although financial assistance is available for HIV-positive patients, those testing negative will have to shell out for the entire cost.

Despite the promising signs shown in the clinical trials, there are those who are against the FDA’s ruling, fearing it could pave the way for a reckless attitude when it comes to sexual health. Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles, told reporters in a conference call, “Today marks a catastrophe in the fight against HIV in America. If you look back five years from today, you will see this decision by the FDA will cause there to be more infections, not less.”

However, FDA officials have spoken out and counteracted Weinstein’s predictions. Dr Debra Birnkrant, FDA’s director of antiviral products, said, “What we found was that condom use increased over time and sexually transmitted infections either remained at baseline levels or decreased. So in essence, we don’t have any strong evidence that condoms were not used or there was a decrease in condom use.”

As highlighted by Dr Birnkrant’s statement, condom use in men is vital to absolutely minimising the risk of contracting HIV, or many sexually transmitted infections that are currently rife such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes and many more. Medical Specialists Pharmacy made the headlines on Gay UK News last year after we teamed with Mates Condoms to give away free condoms for one week to all men who obtained any erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra. This was to promote World AIDS Day on 1 December, and you can read more about that within the ‘in the press’ section of our website. We also promoted World AIDS Day back in 2010 when we joined forces with Skins Condoms to give away condoms for one week.

If you do suspect you have chlamydia, Medical Specialists Pharmacy offer the Clamelle chlamydia test kit from just £24.85, which can be used in the privacy of your own home to avoid an embarrassing visit to your GP. Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have the medication Valtrex from as little as £3.50 per tablet, which works by slowing the spread of the herpes virus.