Malaria Tablets, understanding and preventing malaria

Malaria Treatments

As well as preventing malaria, it is possible to purchase medication to treat the symptoms of malaria. These courses of medication are recommended for those travellers who are going to remote areas and will be at least 24 hours away from immediate medical care.

Early treatment of the symptoms is vital so it is essential you are familiar with the symptoms of malaria:

Incubation period of malaria

The minimum period between being bitten by an infected mosquito and developing symptoms of malaria is 8 days, so a febrile illness starting within the first week of your arrival in a malarious area is not likely to be due to malaria.

Symptoms and signs of malaria

Malaria usually begins with a fever. You may then feel cold, shivery, shaky and very sweaty. Headache, feeling sick and vomiting are common with malaria and you are also likely to experience aching muscles. Some people develop jaundice (yellowness of the whites of the eyes and the skin). It is not necessary for all these symptoms to be present before suspecting malaria as fever alone may be present at first.

The medications available to treat malaria are Malarone and Riamet. It is vital that these are not the tablets you are taking to prevent malaria on your trip.

It is vital that, as well as taking your malaria treatment medication, you seek urgent medical attention immediately or as soon as possible, if you are in a remote area. It is recommended that if you are more than 24 hours away from immediate medical care, you should start your malaria treatment course (as well as taking medication such as Paracetamol to reduce your fever) as soon as symptoms develop and make your way to the nearest medical care facility.

Click here for more information on Malaria Tablets.

Malaria Information

Mosquito Malaria is a preventable, life threatening illness, transmitted by the bite of a mosquito which is infected with a parasite called P. falciparum.

Malaria is found in many countries around the world, predominantly Africa, South and Central America, Asia and the Middle East. The highest incidence is in Africa, where around 90% of the approximately one million deaths from malaria worldwide occur each year.

Between 2003 – 2008, approximately 1600 cases of malaria have occurred annually in returning UK travellers. Anyone visiting a malarious area can become infected. Malaria can kill very quickly if not diagnosed in time.

To help you select the correct medication for your trip, please visit www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk Select your destination from the box on the home page and click 'go'. The following page will show you the malaria tablets (and travel vaccinations) which are recommended for your trip or holiday.

Malaria Prevention Medications

Listed below are the medications currently available on web prescriptions for the prevention of malaria:

	Malarone (Atovaquone/Proguanil)	Doxycycline	Larium (Mefloquine)	Paludrine and Avloclor (Proguanil and Chloroquine)
Minimum age/weight	Not suitable for use in individual’s under 11kg	Not suitable for use in children under 12 years old	Not suitable for use in infants under 5kg	Not to be given to children under 1 year old
Children’s doses?	Paediatric tablets are available	Not suitable in under 12s	No paediatric tablets, adult tablets have to be crushed	Chloroquine syrup is available, Proguanil tablets have to be crushed
Resistance to anti-malaria tablets	Globally effective, no significant resistance reported	Generally effective but some resistance reported	Generally effective but some resistance reported	Nearly all countries have reported resistance, still effective for trips to India
Possible side effects	Headaches	Skin rash is possible in strong sunlight; may reduce effectiveness of some contraceptive pills	Neuropsychiatric problems; may increase risk of convulsions	Nausea, vomiting; eye problems if used constantly for many years
When to start tablets	2 days before you enter the malaria risk area	2 days before travel to risk area	2 – 3 weeks before travel to risk area	1 week before travel to risk area
When to stop	1 week after leaving malaria risk area	4 weeks after leaving malaria risk area	4 weeks after leaving malaria risk area	4 weeks after leaving malaria risk area
How long can anti-malaria treatment be taken for?	Up to 28 days	Up to 6 months	Up to 1 year	Long term use – up to 5 years

Helpful Resources

For more information on malaria, its causes, prevention and treatment, please visit the following sites.