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CHERYL COLE’S MALARIA HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTATIVE MEASURES FOR TRAVELLERS
July 7

Following a brief trip to Tanzania in June, Cheryl Cole has contracted Malaria and after a brief spell in intensive care at London's Cromwell Hospital, she is now receiving treatment at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

According to various reports, her symptoms followed a classic pattern. She felt tired and listless, and had lost weight during the week or so following her return. Whilst working on a photoshoot on Saturday 3rd she collapsed from what was initially diagnosed as exhaustion.

She went to her Surrey home to rest, but on Sunday, her health deteriorated dramatically and she began 'sweating and shaking', and was eventually diagnosed with Malaria on Tuesday 6th – some three days after her collapse.

Press reports say that she was 'whisked away for a surprise trip' by her boyfriend, and this would suggest that she would not have been taking a course of anti-malarial tablets, some of which need to be taken as long as three weeks before a trip.

Malaria itself is a very serious condition that comes second only to Tuberculosis in terms of deaths each year – in excess of 1 million. The WHO estimates that on average, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Over 2,000 people are diagnosed with Malaria each year in the UK, the overwhelming majority of whom have taken trips to malarial zones without having taken preventative medication.

The disease is spread by mosquitoes which deposit their eggs in the body. These hatch into parasitic larvae after six days or so, which is when the symptoms present. There are a number of forms of malaria, and they dictate the severity of the disease. The most serious forms can inflict long term damage on the kidneys and brain, and can prove fatal if not properly treated. It is not clear which form Mrs Cole is suffering from, but her trip to intensive care would indicate a severe form such as malaria-falciparum.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

Mrs Cole's condition does have a positive aspect: it has brought Malaria to the forefront of public attention and will almost certainly prompt those travelling to infectious regions to think twice before 'risking it' without taking a course of anti-malarial tablets. If a celebrity with a five-star lifestyle can contract the disease, then anyone can.  

However some species have developed resistance to standard anti-malarial drugs such as Chloroquine. Medicentre recommends and prescribes Malarone™. It is currently one of the most effective of the anti-malarial preparations, and need only be taken one or two days before travel. It is also suitable for children.

Together with the NHS and other medical professionals, Medicentre advises strongly against self-administering Malarone™ or any other anti-malarial drug. They should only be used following proper consultation.

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Malarone™ - the preventative recommended and prescribed by Medicentre.
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