Warning as ‘suitcase and airport malaria’ fuel spread of killer disease across Europe
MALARIA cases resulting from bites from infected mosquitoes that have been transported on planes are on the rise in Europe.
Cases of suitcase and airport malaria, also known as Odyssean malaria, have been reported among travellers returning from countries where the disease is established.
Of 6,131 cases that were reported in the EU/EEA in 2022, 99 per cent were travel-related.
Odyssean malaria refers to cases resulting from the bite of an infected mosquito transported by aircraft, luggage, or parcel from an endemic area.
Malaria was eradicated in Western Europe in the 1970s, but locally acquired infections are still reported sporadically every year in the continent.
Infections include those which are transmitted by a local mosquito after it has bitten an infected returning traveller, induced cases related to other means of transmission such as mother-to-child transmission, and Odyssean malaria.
In a systemic review of studies in Europe from 1969 to January 2024, out of 145 cases described from nine countries, 105 were classified as airport malaria, 32 as luggage malaria, and eight as either type of malaria.
Most cases were reported in France, Belgium and Germany.
The people infected either half resided or worked near or at an international airport.
And cases have been found to be rising with one-third reported over the last five years – even when air traffic declined during the Covid pandemic.
If malaria isn’t treated quickly it can be deadly. It’s a leading cause of death in many developing countries.
For the cases in the review with a known outcome, 124 recovered and nine died.
People infected with malaria had a mean age of 37.9 years and were more likely to be male than female.
Patients who died were older on average, with a mean age of 57.2 years.
Similar trends were demonstrated in a retrospective analysis of surveillance and case investigation data in France on locally acquired malaria from 1995 to 2022.
Researchers found a total of 117 locally acquired malaria cases reported in France.
Symptoms of malaria to watch out for
Symptoms can be hard to spot, but can include:
- a high temperature, sweats and chills
- headaches and feeling confused
- feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children)
- feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle pains
- yellow skin or whites of the eyes
- a sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing
These symptoms usually appear between 7 and 18 days after you’ve been bitten by an infected mosquito.
Sometimes, symptoms may not occur until months after travel, and in rare occasions years.
If you’ve travelled to a country where malaria is found and have malaria symptoms, get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111.
Source: NHS
Locally acquired infections remained constant overall, with more Odyssean being reported since 2011.
Half of the patients were born in a country in Africa, where malaria is common, and the other half were born in France.
Most of the cases were reported in the region of Île-de-France.
The researchers have now advised strict enforcement of the disinsectization of aircraft to tackle the risk of Odyssean malaria.
They also recommended doctors consider the possibility of locally-acquired malaria for patients with an unexplained fever early, even if there is no travel history.
And would like to see more structured surveillance of malaria cases in Europe and the implementation of preventative measures.
Malaria is usually found in tropical regions including large areas of Africa and Asia, Central and South America, and parts of the Middle East.
It’s important to check the malaria risk for the country you’re travelling to before you go.