UK malaria: increased risk for those visiting friends and relatives, business travellers & children

What is it about?

Previous studies of malaria amongst UK residents travelling abroad have highlighted that those visiting friends and relatives were at higher risk of getting malaria. This has been thought to be due to a combination of visiting areas with higher rates of malaria transmission, staying longer and taking fewer precautions due to a perception of less risk. This is the first study to disentangle these effects, suggesting that a large part of the risk is likely to be due to poor protection.

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Why is it important?

This study will inform public health policy on reducing the number of malaria cases and deaths in the UK. There are currently approximately 1-2,000 cases per year, with a handful of deaths. This study reinforces previously known results regarding the importance of informing those travelling to visit friends and relatives in malaria endemic countries of the risks of malaria, particularly for children. It also highlights malaria risks for business travellers, even though they have shorter trips.