Malaria for Travellers: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

The most dangerous animal in the world is not the shark or the tiger. It won’t stalk you on safari or attack you as you surf.

Tiny but mighty, the mosquito kills more people than any other animal in the world. Why? Because it transmits deadly diseases to humans, such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. Malaria causes more than 600,000 deaths every year—all of which are preventable. In the first episode of Travel Unravelled, Dr. Anne McCarthy and Dr. Albie de Frey dive into the essential facts about malaria.

On the agenda: How to avoid getting malaria, how to prepare before a trip, and what to do if you feel sick in a malaria area. Plus: Why malaria is so tough to diagnose. It’s the Battle of the Buzz, and listening to this podcast is your best repellent!

Links & Mentions

• Access the ISTM Malaria fact sheet, and more information for travellers at the ISTM website.

• Check out the WHO Malaria Fact Sheet for more important information.

• See if your next travel destination is in a Malaria area with this CDC guide.

• And see the Canadian resource: CATMAT Malaria areas 

• Watch the TEDTalk about mosquitoes and malaria, in which Bill Gates releases mosquitoes on the audience.

• Read a BBC article about singer Cheryl Cole’s malaria diagnosis

• Make a mean gin and tonic with this recipe (and remember it will not prevent or treat malaria!)