NewsDesk @bactiman63

Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) is reporting an upward trend in the number of imported malaria cases, which all involve persons coming from Africa. This includes at least one fatal case.

Malaria life cycle/CDC

From July 1 to August 4, the CHP recorded a total of 30 imported malaria cases involving 30 male patients aged 25 to 57 arriving in Hong Kong from July 1 to August 1, among which 21 of them arrived from Guinea, Africa.

All patients underwent quarantine at designated quarantine hotels in accordance with relevant entry requirement upon arrival and a 52-year-old patient passed away during quarantine and post-mortem results revealed that he carried the malaria parasite. The remaining 29 have been sent to public hospitals for treatment and 10 of them have been discharged after treatment, while four and 15 of them are in serious and stable condition respectively (including four in Intensive Care Unit).

Malaria is a communicable disease transmitted by an infected female Anopheline mosquito (malaria vector). When the mosquito bites a malaria patient, the mosquito becomes infected with Plasmodium and will pass on the Plasmodium when it bites another person.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. Common symptoms of malaria include fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and weakness, cough, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Severe malaria is serious and potentially fatal without proper treatment.