On October 14, 2014, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced that as of October 13, a cumulative total of 15 imported malaria cases have been confirmed and they respectively came from Burkina Faso (3), Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (2), Malawi (2), Nigeria (2), India (2), Kenya (1), Ethiopia (1), Gabon (1), and Ghana (1). Of the cases, some are Taiwanese nationals and some are exchange students from the above-mentioned countries. Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting endemic areas to take precautions against mosquito bites such as wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants and applying officially approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body to lower the risk of infection.

Currently, Taiwan is a malaria-free country. Over the past decades, we have, on average, about 10 to 30 imported malaria cases every year. Although malaria has been eradicated in Taiwan, Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary vector for malaria, are still found in 29 townships in 5 cities, including Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, Taitung County and Hualien County. Hence, the possibility of a local outbreak remains. The public is urged to remain vigilant. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were about 207 million malaria cases and an estimated 627,000 malaria deaths mostly among children under 5 years of age in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest hit region in the world. Southeast Asia, Oceania and Latin America also face significant malaria epidemics.

Malaria is caused by bites from anopheles mosquitoes, which are infected with the malaria protozoan. Protozoa of Plasmodium Vivax and Plasmodium ovale can remain dormant in liver for months or even years. Most infected individuals develop 7 to 30 days after infection. Early symptoms are similar to those of the common cold. The main symptom is high fever. Other symptoms include headache, muscle soreness, joint pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. If the patient has not been treated appropriately, symptoms of intermittent or periodic cold shivering (chills and shivering), high fever and sweating may appear. In more severe cases, malaria infection may lead to splenomegaly, jaundice, shock, liver and kidney failure, pulmonary edema, acute brain diseases and coma. Symptoms usually appear seven to 30 days in most infected people.

Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting endemic areas to take precautions against mosquito bites such as wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants and applying officially approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body to lower the risk of infection. Moreover, travelers planning to visit areas affected by malaria are advised to visit the outpatient travel clinic at 12 contracted hospitals in the nation one month prior to their departure to assess the risk of infection, take the malaria prophylaxis according to the doctor’s orders, and throughout the trip, pay attention to personal hygiene, wash hands frequently, avoid touching mouth and nose, and wearing a mask when visiting crowded places. Taiwan CDC emphasizes if symptoms such as intermittent fever, and chills develop after returning to Taiwan, please seek immediate medical attention and inform the doctor of any recent travel history and activity to facilitate prompt diagnosis and case reporting. For any questions or further information, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.