Travelling has always been an adventure full of surprises. It opens your eyes to new wonderful places, new perspectives, and new bizarre cultures.
But travelling isn’t always rose-colored. Hopping from one place to another also comes with risks, like catching a deadly disease.
One such disease is malaria, a blood disease caused by a parasite. Its symptoms causes a person to get flu and chills. But don’t let these seemingly innocent symptoms fool you. In 2015, 212 million cases and 429,000 deaths globally were reported to be related to malaria.
What causes malaria?
The high rate of malaria cases just goes to show how serious it is. If you’re not making mosquito bite a big deal, maybe you should now. People get malaria from mosquitos infected with a parasite called ‘plasmodium’. When these infected mosquitos bite a person, the parasite gets transmitted to the human blood, making it a lot more deadly.
Just how deadly is it?
Once a traveler got infected by malaria and was not treated immediately, chances are it can cause fatal complications. Malaria symptoms do not show instantly–it may take weeks, months, or even a year–once a person gets infected.
Malaria is a threat. It is a serious disease that travelers need to take seriously. It comes with other symptoms like high fever, body aches, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it can cause implications such as brain damage, breathing difficulties, and kidney failure. It’s best to visit a doctor right away once you endure these symptoms.
Who can help?
Medical experts can definitely help in preventing and treating diseases like malaria. In Metro Manila, there are hospitals like ManilaMed that offer services for these treatments. They have laboratory to have your blood tested and give your doctor accurate results necessary for your treatment.
As travelers, it’s your responsibility to protect yourself and the people you’re with while traveling. Try engaging with malaria prevention: avoid mosquito bites, take antimalarial medications, and take immediate professional care once you get sick.
Keep in mind that health risks will always be present and it’s always better to be aware and take preventions. Every time you travel, always check to see if malaria transmission occur in your destination.
Taking malaria prevention is one step to ensuring your health. But to be sure, it’s always best to seek medical help once needed. Visit www.manilamed.com.ph to find out how to maintain a healthy body while enjoying the adventure life.
