There has been a spike in the cases of killer diseases caused by mosquitoes transported on planes across Europe, prompting concern. “Suitcase and airport malaria” – also known as Odyssean malaria, has been found in people returning from holiday.
An international team of scientists has identified 145 cases between 2018 and 2022, where 105 were classified as airport malaria, 32 as luggage malaria, and for eight cases, the investigators did not distinguish between the two types. More than a third of reported cases since 2000 peaked in 2019, according to findings published last week in the journal Eurosurveillance.
Experts say Odyssean malaria refers to cases that come from the bite of an infected mosquito transported by aircraft, luggage, or parcel from an area where malaria has been found.
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Majority of cases found in France
The study said most airport malaria cases were reported in France, Belgium, and Germany. The patients often worked near or lived close to an international airport, with men disproportionately affected.
According to the research, even though malaria was eradicated in Western Europe around 50 years ago, locally acquired infections still keep getting detected, including those transmitted by a local mosquito after it has bitten an infected returning traveler, induced cases related to other means of transmission such as mother-to-child transmission, and now Odyssean malaria.
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To tackle the risk of Odyssean malaria, researchers have advised the strict enforcement of the disinsectization of aircraft, according to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation. To improve treatment, they also recommended that physicians consider the possibility of locally-acquired malaria for patients with an unexplained fever early, even if there is no travel history.
At least nine patients of Odyssean malaria died
Scientists said of 133 cases with a known outcome, 124 patients recovered and nine died. Most of those infected were in their late 30s and the ones who had a fatal outcome were in their 50s.
A separate analysis of surveillance and case investigation data showed that there were 117 locally acquired malaria cases reported in France between 1995 and 2022. Half of the people affected were born in a country in Africa, where malaria is common, and the other half were born in France.
According to experts, malaria cases will become more common in parts of the world previously unaffected due to climate change as temperatures rise. To lower your risk of contracting malaria, the NHS recommends getting advice from a doctor before you go to a country where this mosquito-borne disease is common.