This is National Mosquito Control Awareness Week in the USA (June 16-24), an event reminding us that mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal. Being responsible for the transmission of diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus, dengue, yellow fever, zika and Japanese encephalitis, mosquitoes get the bad press they deserve. Combatting their health threat should be something all travellers resolve to do, through better prevention strategies, anti-malarial treatments and travel vaccinations.
There are 176 species recognised in the USA alone and well over 3000 different species of mosquito worldwide, frequenting many different environments, including those in which travellers find themselves. In many cases, they are simply nuisances, rather than transmitters of disease. In others, however, the biting female mosquito, requiring blood to help produce eggs, can spread germs that make humans extremely sick.
Malaria, just one of the resulting diseases, is a huge threat to humans. It is prevalent in large swathes of Africa, in Central and South America, the Dominican Republic/Haiti, parts of the Middle East and in some Pacific islands. Infection can result from just one mosquito bite.
Common symptoms of malaria are fever, shakes and shiver, sweating, flu-like feelings, headaches and vomiting, tiredness, breathing difficulties, jaundice, abnormal bleeding, multiple convulsions, confusion, dark or bloody urine and muscle aches. It can be particularly hard to identify in children, as the child may just report feeling unwell. Symptoms typically emerge 10-15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
In 2022, there were around 249 million cases of malaria and 608,000 malaria deaths, in 85 different countries. Africa bore the brunt of the malaria burden, with children particularly at risk and under-5s accounting for 80% of all malaria deaths in the continent.
Other particularly at-risk groups are pregnant women, those with HIV/AIDS and travellers.
What can travellers do to protect themselves against malaria?
The first thing to do is to remember to adopt a two-pronged strategy, if travelling to a region in which malaria is prevalent. Step one is to take precautions to try to prevent being bitten. Stay in accommodation equipped with mosquito nets and ensure these are intact. You might wish to take your own net.
You should also use mosquito repellents containing DEET, IR3535 or Icaridin and try to cover up with long-sleeved, loose fitting clothing and trousers. Using coils and vaporisers within a room can help and staying in accommodation with fitted insect window screens is advisable.
The second part of the anti-malaria strategy is where Pinpoint Travel Health comes in, as it is all about planning. In advance of travel – and even of booking a trip if you are more vulnerable health-wise – you should do your research and ascertain whether there is a malaria risk in your intended destination. If so, you should ensure that you consult a doctor or health professional and organise the right anti-malarial treatment.
All of this planning and medical consultation cannot be left until the last minute. Some treatments have to be taken for a few weeks in advance of travel, to make them effective.
How can I protect myself against Yellow Fever?
You may be less familiar with Yellow Fever as a travel risk. The symptoms are similar to those of malaria, with the disease’s name referencing the fact that jaundice is often present. It is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease but the good news is that there is a vaccine to protect against it and you only need it once in life. You can achieve immunity 10 days after having had the vaccine in over 80% of cases. 99% of people achieve that immunity within 30 days. You need to allow sufficient time for the vaccination to be effective and to also know which countries come with a yellow fever risk.
How can I protect myself against dengue fever?
Again, following the rules to try to prevent mosquito bites is hugely important as a means of avoiding dengue fever. This is the second most commonly identified cause of fever-related illness in travellers returning from overseas, however. Should you start to feel feverish, during or after a holiday or trip, quickly arrange a medical consultation and explain that you have recently returned from abroad.
Whilst there is a vaccine against dengue fever, it is only recommended for some of those who have suffered the disease in the past. A doctor will have to advise you on its suitability for you, if that is the case.
How can I protect myself against Japanese encephalitis?
Although found in parts of Asia, this disease is mainly confined to rural regions, so your strategy should firstly be to discover whether you need any protection. There is a licensed vaccine in the UK, called Ixiaro. Normally, two doses of this have to be administered, 28 days apart, so this again needs to be planned well in advance. If still at risk, there is then a booster dose provided. A more rapid vaccine scheduling can be provided for some travellers, dependent upon age, but it is preferable to plan well ahead and ensure you can secure the right protection, particularly if not in the recommended age group of 18-64.
West Nile and Zika Viruses
There is no vaccine available for either of these mosquito-transmitted diseases, so good bite prevention is required.
Put Pinpoint precision behind your anti-malarial and vaccination planning
We have talked a lot about planning in this article, for good reason. It is hugely important to know where in the world the malaria and other mosquito-transmitted diseases that we have discussed exist. Knowing the threat and taking measures to prevent against it, is key.
However, it is equally important, in our view, to have a precise knowledge of the travel health risk and understand whether or not it is localised and, if so, to where.
Most travel health planning tools will not tell you this. They will talk about travel health risks at a country level or use phrases such as a ‘may require’ or ‘can be recommended’. They can leave you doubting whether or not you do need antimalarials or vaccines.
Here at Pinpoint Travel Health, we clarify the situation entirely and tailor that to you, as an individual traveller. As we have seen, some treatments cannot be accessed by certain types of traveller, according to their health condition or age. But, equally, some treatments are not required, according to when you are travelling or the particular place in which you will stay. That is because some of the diseases we have discussed are seasonal, confined to certain defined regions within a country, or only really a risk if you are engaging in certain activities.
By equipping yourself – and maybe individual members of your family too – with a Pinpoint Travel Health Brief, you can discover exactly what your situation will be. The report will explain what is necessary for your trip and your trip alone, with your locations considered right down to hotel level.
The data driving the report is also updated continually. That may become increasingly relevant, as climate change spreads some diseases further afield. As soon as a new alert is issued, as to the presence of a travel health risk, by any of the leading authorities from which we take our data, including the World Health Organisation, our system will be updated.
The great news is that, at a cost of just £15, including VAT, you are not going to be bitten financially when ordering a Travel Health Brief. That one action could save you from unnecessarily spending between £60 and £85 on a yellow fever vaccination that you do not actually need, or around £210, per dose, for a Japanese encephalitis vaccine.
Equally, however, the report might prevent trips going horribly wrong, by flagging up where it is a requirement to have a particular vaccine certificate, in order to enter a country.
Once the report has highlighted what is needed, you can approach a medical professional with confidence, explaining to them what treatments you require and not expecting them to have to carry out hours of research and make judgement calls. They may lack Pinpoint Travel Health’s advanced travel health planning tools but you will be armed with a report generated by them.
Don’t be caught out by the travel health situations that surround travelling in a world on which the mosquito has such a hold. Do your homework, utilise the unique service that Pinpoint Travel Health can provide and back your individual itinerary with what you and you alone require, in terms of vaccines and antimalarials.