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.

Male impotence drug Viagra makes it hard for Malaria to spread

The hugely popular erectile dysfunction medication Viagra (sildenafil citrate) has been taken by men all around the world for over 15 years to help stiffen erections for sex, and it seems this very stiffening prowess has been found to be the key element in aiding a decreased risk in the transmission of the mosquito-borne malaria parasite Plasmodium from humans to mosquitoes. In turn, this would then prevent a further passing of the virus to other people.

The findings have been laid bare in a study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in collaboration with the CNRS, INSERM, Université Paris Descartes at the Institut Cochin and the Institut Pasteur.

How the malaria transmission can be blocked through then use of Viagra was explained by study co-author David Baker, Professor of Malaria Parasite Biology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

He said: “In this new study we show that Viagra, a drug shown to be safe in humans, can make the sexual forms of the malaria parasite stiff.

“This causes them to be inactivated in the spleen and so prevents transmission of the sexual malaria parasites to mosquitoes. This is an interesting proof of concept which gives us hope that new drugs could be developed that specifically target the malaria parasite phosphodiesterase enzymes and block malaria transmission,” he added.

Plasmodium falciparum is one of the parasites that triggers the infectious, and sometimes deadly disease malaria. This parasite isn’t always easy to treat, with experts believing the single celled organism is evolving to become more resistant to the most commonly prescribed antimalarials. It is this reason why researchers continually look for other ways to fight the disease.

The parasite develops in a person’s red blood cells, which are emitted by bone marrow into the blood stream. Should a mosquito bite somebody that is already infected, it will extract some of the parasites within the blood and there is a risk that the mosquito could then infect another person by biting them.
As the blood circulates, stiff, old or abnormal blood cells are taken in by the spleen, with the healthier normal cells left to travel around. With the Viagra though, the infected red blood cells are taken in by the spleen – meaning they are not available for mosquitoes to get after biting someone. Sildenafil maintains a signalling pathway within the red blood cells, which results in the molecule cAAMP becoming more concentrated and the cells stiffening.

So far, tests have only been conducted using test tubes and there will need to be carried out with animals. If those show signs of success the next trials will need to involve humans before any medication can be approved for the use of malaria prevention.

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.

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.”

Malaria moving to higher altitudes due to climate change

Rising temperatures and climate change could put people living in the tropics at risk of contracting the mosquito-borne malaria, according to scientists who have spent two decades monitoring the deadly disease within two densely populated mountainous regions in South America and Africa.

Those residing in higher altitudes have typically not been at risk from the disease, as mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite find it difficult to survive in the cooler air.

Professor Mercedes Pascual University of Michigan, who led the research, says: “The risk of the disease decreases with altitude and this is why historically people have settled in these higher regions.”

Health experts have spent years arguing if malaria will move because of climate change, and this is one of the only studies of its kind that demonstrates how malaria can migrate higher with a temperature increase. This puts millions of people at risk, who historically have been benefiting from living in malaria-free areas in the high-altitude tropics.

The study involved an analysis of the densely populated areas in the highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia as there were comprehensive records kept for the two of both temperature and malaria cases from the 1990s to 2005.

It was discovered that during warmer years, malaria managed to transmit into the mountains and for the years when the temperatures were cooler, the disease was restricted to lower altitudes.

“We have identified that malaria does indeed move up and down and that the movement is temperature dependent. It’s been difficult to prove and people have been questioning it now for 20 years,” said Menno Bouma of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who was involved in the research.

“The implications are that if this is true, and that a global warming is occurring leading to an increase in temperatures, then malaria will increase at higher altitudes where many people live. The high altitude areas in the tropics are particularly highly populated,” Dr Bouma added.

Dr Bouma says that those in the higher altitudes do not have any protective immunity as they are not exposed to malaria, meaning they could be susceptible to potentially even more serious and fatal cases of the disease.

Around half of Ethiopia’s population live at an altitude between 1,600m (5,250ft) and 2,400m, and the scientists estimate there could be a surge in malaria cases. They predict even just a 1C increase in average local temperatures will mean there will be three million children more children who will contract malaria annually.

“We have estimated that, based on the distribution of malaria with altitude, a 1C rise in temperature could lead to an additional three million cases in under-15-year-olds per year,” says Professor Pascual.

The most recent figures released by the World Health Organization show an estimated 207 million cases of malaria in 2012, resulting in about 627,000 deaths. The majority of these deaths occur among children in Africa. Clearly more work needs to be done into control efforts of the disease, getting malaria treatment and prevention methods to the millions who need them.

In addition, if you are travelling to particularly at-risk countries, The NHS Malaria Fit For Travel website offers advice about antimalarials such as Malarone and includes a map to show what other diseases are common in certain regions.

UK pledge £1 billion in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria

The UK will give £1 billion to the Geneva-based Global Fund over the next three years in the help to combat AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced at the United Nations in New York. Ms Greening said fighting preventable diseases was “in all of our interests.”

The Global Fund was founded in 2002 and is the world’s largest donor of funds to fight the three deadly and infectious diseases, proving prevention, treatment and care programmes.

The initiative is believed to have helped to save 8.7 million lives and 5.3 million people with HIV are now benefiting from antiretroviral therapy, 11 million new TB cases have been detected and treated and 340 million insecticide treated nets have been given to families to provide protection from malaria.

Britain’s staggering £1 billion pledge will save “a life every three minutes” and now doubles the current amount of money being donated and leaves the UK only second to the United States as the biggest donor of funds.

Throughout the next three years the UK will be involved in the delivery of vital antiretroviral treatment to an additional 750,000 people who have HIV, in addition to an extra 32 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets and over a million people will receive treatment for TB.

The Department for International Development has predicted that the generous funding provided by the UK will save the lives of 590,400 people between 2014 and 2016. This equates to one life saved every three minutes.

“AIDS, TB and malaria are among the world’s biggest killers despite being entirely preventable and treatable,” Ms Greening said at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York on Monday, where spoke on the new funding.

She continued: “The Global Fund has already helped save millions of lives but we must keep up the momentum if we are to beat these diseases for good. It is in all our interests to help people live longer, healthier, more productive lives so we all need to play our part in working towards a world free of HIV/Aids, malaria and TB.”

Bono, frontman for rock band U2 co-founder of the One foundation, said: “The UK’s pledge of up to a billion pounds for the fight against Aids, TB and malaria means what once seemed impossible could now be within our grasp. Through this smart investment in one of the most effective disease-fighting funds in history, we could witness the defeat of these global killers in our lifetime. David Cameron and Justine Greening have given us a billion reasons to believe we can do it, but Britain’s pledge will only be delivered if others step up too. Australia, Canada, Germany: your move.”

Prevention of malaria has improved significantly in recent times. The World Health Organisation’s World Malaria Report for 2012 stated that 50 countries were on target for lowering malaria incidence by 75% between 2000 and 2015. Moreover, 30 million insecticide-treated nets were given out during January and July of 2013 through Global Fund-supported programmes.

TB, the world’s second biggest infectious killer after HIV/AIDS, is slowly declining, albeit slowly. Funding from the Global Fund has resulted in detection and treatment of 11 million smear-positive cases of TB, up from 9.7 million at the end of 2012.

It was calculated that as of 1 July the Global Fund had helped to pioneer programmes resulting in 5.3 million people with HIV to receive antiretroviral therapy, up from 4.2 million at the end of 2012.
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.

Huge breakthrough in the quest for a malaria vaccine

A vaccine for one of the world’s biggest killers – malaria – has become a step closer after researchers in the U.S.  made a breakthrough in a small early-stage clinical trial.

The new malaria vaccine is being tentatively named ‘PfSPZ’ and is unique as it contains sporozoites (SPZ) – a life cycle stage of live but weakened malaria Plasmodium falciparum parasites.

Details of the Phase-1 clinical trial were published yesterday in the journal Science. Developers of the vaccine say that the weakened, early stage parasites can actually help a person build up an immunity following an injection of a high enough dosage into the bloodstream.

Lead author Dr Robert Seder, from the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, in Maryland, said: “We were excited and thrilled by the result, but it is important that we repeat it, extend it and do it in larger numbers.”

It has been common knowledge amongst health experts for several decades that exposure to mosquitoes treated with radiation is highly effective as a malaria prevention method.

Unfortunately, evidence shows that roughly 1,000 mosquito bites are required over a time period to gradually develop a sufficient level of immunity.  Therefore, it is simply an unfeasible way to protect people.

Dr Seder added: “Based on the history, we knew dose was important because you needed 1,000 mosquito bites to get protection – this validates that. It allows us in future studies to increase the dose and alter the schedule of the vaccine to further optimise it. The next critical questions will be whether the vaccine is durable over a long period of time and can the vaccine protect against other strains of malaria.”

The new vaccine is being developed by a biotech company called Sanaria, based in Maryland, U.S., who irradiated lab-grown mosquitoes before extracting the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Their Phase-1 clinical trial of PfSPZ involved 57 volunteers aged 18 to 45 who had no previous history of the malaria disease. The researchers administered varying strengths of PfSPZ to 40 of the participants and the other 17 received no vaccine whatsoever.

After a week’s analysis, no severe side effects were noted in any of the participants in the study. However, to determine how effective the malaria vaccine actually was, each person – including those who didn’t receive the vaccine – was exposed to bites from five malaria infected mosquitoes.

A week later everybody was analysed for infection and those not given the vaccine received treatment for malaria. It was found that those given high doses were significantly less likely to contract malaria in comparison to the others in the study.

Just three of the 15 participants who received higher doses actually became infected. However, 16 of 17 participants in the lower dosage group became infected and 11 of the 12 participants who were not vaccinated then became infected.

The study, conducted between October 2011 and October 2012, was hugely promising due to the fact none of the participants experienced any side effects from the vaccine. However, the researchers admit it could be years before the vaccine is available in communities where it is needed.

Dr William Schaffner, head of the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt University’s medical school, said although it was a ‘scientific advance’, it could be as long as a 10 year wait before the malaria vaccine is scientifically proved, given approval, and made available for distribution.

He told CCN: “This is not a vaccine that’s ready for travellers to the developing world anytime soon. However, from the point of view of science dealing with one of the big-three infectious causes of death around the world, it’s a notable advance. And everybody will be holding their breath, watching to see whether this next trial works and how well it works.”

Of course, if you are travelling abroad in the next 10 years and need malaria prevention and treatment, there are other medications available right now. These include Doxycycline, Malarone, Paludrine, and Jungle Formula Maximum Pump Spray.  In addition, don’t forget to check the NHS Fit For Travel website where you will find the recommended malaria medication for your destination.

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.”

Malaria-infected mosquitoes more enticed by human odour

Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are more drawn to human scent compared with mosquitoes that do not carry the parasite, suggests the findings of a new study.

For the study, led by Dr James Logan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum were exposed to nylon socks that had been worn by one of the study authors (Renate Smallegange from Wageningen University in the Netherlands) for about 20 hours previously.

Ms Smallegange state the socks were used as ‘bait’ for the 176 mosquitoes that were analysed in the laboratory. She says: “Volatiles emitted by human feet are known to be highly attractive to Anopheles gambiae females.”

It was estimated that the infected mosquitoes were approximately three times more likely to land and try and bite on the worn socks compared to the mosquitoes without any parasite. For study purposes, the species of mosquito analysed was the Anopheles gambiae – the cause of high transmission rates of malaria in Africa. Both infected and healthier mosquitoes were not particularly keen on unworn socks that were also tested.

Experts are already aware that Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes have certain odour receptors which are effective at picking out specific human scents. The scientists involved in the study are convinced that it is the parasites which are creating a heightened craving for human smells, ergo increasing a risk of UK holiday makers being bitten in the dangerous areas for malaria.

Dr Logan was interviewed by BBC News and explained the findings in the study, commenting: “We think the parasite is giving them a heightened sense of smell. We are hypothesizing there is an alteration somewhere in their olfactory system that allows them to find us quicker,” which would make it more likely that the parasite enters the blood stream, ensuring its survival and the spread of the disease.”

The researchers conclude they are unsure how precisely the parasite alters mosquitoes’ sense of smell, in addition to which component(s) of human odour is the most is deemed most appealing to the mosquitoes as human skin emits over 350 different odour molecules. If this information could be attained from future studies, effective traps could be devised to catch the infected mosquitoes and hopefully lessen the risk of a disease that infects around 200,000 million people around the world each year, killing over 600,000.

If you are about to travel abroad and are unsure of what potential health risks there are or which medications are suitable for your area of travel, Medical Specialists Pharmacy recommend visiting the NHS Fit For Travel website.

Here you can click onto the continent and country you are about to travel to, see a highly detailed list of preventative measures to take before and during travel, what diseases are prominent in that particular country as well as a list of the symptoms of each, and also what medications/immunisations are advisable – i.e. Malarone, Paludrine and Doxycycline are all prescription medications to prevent malaria, with Malarone also able to treat the disease if you contract it. All three are available now from the Medical Specialists Holiday and Travel area of the website, where you can also find treatments for the prevention and control of travel sickness; Kwells, Kwells Kids and Avomine.

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.”

Calls for a global treaty to clamp down on counterfeit drugs

Experts are calling for the introduction of a global treaty to fight the growing problem of trading in potentially fatal counterfeit medicines, of which some of the risks we have previously described back in February . The demands might have something to do with the fact that currently there are bizarrely more sanctions in place regarding the trading of illegal tobacco than counterfeit drugs. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) claim that in less developed nations, roughly over one in every 10 drug products are fake and around a third of malaria medicines (i.e. Malarone and Paludrine) are counterfeit, particularly a major issue in certain areas of Africa and Asia.

In more developed nations such as the UK and the U.S., patients can relax somewhat in that medicine safety is a lot better, however there is still a risk of adverse reactions or even deaths being caused as a result of substandard and falsified drugs. This was shown recently when a contaminated batch of methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections that were given to patients in the U.S. for back pain, resulted in an outbreak of fungal meningitisand subsequently the deaths of 24 people.

In a paper published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday, academics and health professionals demanded for the introduction of a new international law to prevent the flood of lethal drugs into the market.

Their article, argues strenuously that a fake drugs treaty is required, similar to those that already exist to combat money laundering and human trafficking. The publishing of the paper comes just week before 100 states are due to congregate in Beunos Aires, Argentina, and conduct the first meeting of its kind that aims to find effective ways on how the tackle the global problem.

However, the lead author of the report, Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa, was angered on Monday after being informed by WHO that he and other non-governmental representatives were forbidden from attending, after an objection by India, whose large drugs industry is responsible for manufacturing cheap generic versions of medications. India believe that Western governments backed by ‘Big Pharma’, are using the counterfeit drugs fight as a smokescreen for their real aim; restricting trade in unpatented medicines that are actually urgently required by the poor.

Attaran blasted it was a ‘scandal’ that only government officials were permitted to attend the meeting in Argentina to discuss strategy for fighting counterfeit drugs. He is confused that by under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, tobacco products must be tracked and criminalises illicit trade globally, “oddly making the law tougher on cigarette falsification than on medicine falsification” he says.

Attaran continued: “The protocol will now make it a requirement to track and trace tobacco products. Cigarette packets can carry serial numbers so it is possible to track them from beginning to end. If this is something you can do for a $5 cigarette packet I do not see why we can’t do it for a $3,000 packet of drugs that could save your life. In Canada we have seen a fake version of the heart drug Avastin come into the country that contains no active drug, just starch and nail polish remover. When you are dealing with a medicine like that if there was a serial number on it you would be able to easily see if it was fake.”

Medical Specialists agree that action needs to be taken to stem the tide of deadly drugs reaching unsuspecting patients. For this to happen though there clearly needs to be a lot less distrust amongst government, public health campaigners and pharmaceutical companies.

Patients around the globe never need to worry about dangerous fakes when dealing with Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Established in 1994 and becoming the UK’s first legal online clinic in 2001, we are fully registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and also a member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Our team of Doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and our Pharmacists are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB).

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.

Counterfeiters in Nigeria and America receive heavy punishment

Over the course of this calendar year, there has been an endless number of cases to emerge that involve the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines, and these are only the ones that authorities have managed to successfully shut down. There are illegal operations still active all across the globe, with criminals always trying to conjure up new methods of tricking the public into purchasing these dangerous medicines. However, their activities cannot and will not last forever, with Medical Specialists Pharmacy and many other organisations around the world determined to bring them to justice.

Therefore it brings us with great delight to report of two such instances to occur in the last few weeks of criminals finding their comeuppance. The first happened just 11 days ago in Nigeria and surprisingly did not involve erectile dysfunction medications, which seems to be a common type of counterfeited drug. Instead it was antimalarials such as Malarone and Paludrine that had found themselves being the source of imitation.

After receiving knowledge about the existence of the fake drugs, officers from The Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) swooped onto a market within the south-eastern city of Enugu. After the raid, authorities had amassed a haul of $15,000 worth of fake pharmaceuticals, which could have proved fatal if sold to the unsuspecting public of Nigeria. Fake drugs are often manufactured in dirty, unhygienic warehouses and sometimes can contain little or no of the genuine active ingredient, or remarkably harmful industrial compounds.

Udekpo Ekpo, acting head, south-east zone at NAFDAC, spoke of the capture of the drugs and said, “This exercise was actually necessitated by reports that there are some fake brands of antimalarial drugs in the market. Some of them are in the market without NAFDAC registration number.”

Just one week after this bust in Nigeria, 40 year old Gregory Bochter found out the hard way that dealing with counterfeit drugs does not pay. Bochter, of Volusia County, Florida, initially submitted a guilty plea back in May to the trafficking of the two popular counterfeit erectile dysfunction medications, Viagra and Cialis.

He had obtained the fake pills from China, one of the world’s biggest exporters of counterfeit drugs. Homeland Security investigators had managed to intervene and apprehend one of his shipments and discovered in excess of 1,300 prescription pills. The pills only comprised of just 30% of their active ingredient, thus meaning they would probably be ineffective to any unsuspecting men who bought them.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials claim that even after they had seized Bochter’s delivery of fake pills, he then brazenly continued to be involved in more illegal trafficking for another two months. Unfortunately for him, he has now been sentenced to eight months behind bars and is being forced to cough up a hefty $150,000 in restitution fees.  If this wasn’t bad enough for, Bochter faces three years of supervised release upon his return to society in 2020.

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.