HHS HealthBeat (August 23, 2007)

Don’t bring back malaria

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat. 

Malaria makes a lousy souvenir, but that doesn’t stop people from bringing it back from their vacation. The United States has no home-grown malaria – hasn’t for some 50 years. So people get it in countries where infected mosquitoes carry the blood-borne parasite.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks malaria cases, says around 1,500 people a year get diagnosed in the United States.

Malaria feels like a horrible case of the flu, and can be fatal. So the CDC’s Julie Thwing says that, if you will visit a country where you can be infected, work on prevention.

``There are several very good options for preventive medicine that can be taken while you’re traveling that will, if taken properly, prevent almost every episode of malaria.’’ (9 seconds)

Using mosquito repellent and sleeping under netting can also help. 

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss

Last revised: August, 23 2007