Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.

Malaria is caused by being bitten by an infected mosquito. It can take just 1 bite to get it.

There is no person to person transmission.

Malaria can be hard to spot, but symptoms include:

• a high temperature, sweats and chills
• headaches and feeling confused
• feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children)
• feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhoea
• loss of appetite
• muscle pains
• yellow skin or whites of the eyes
• a sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing

These symptoms usually appear between 7 and 18 days after you’ve been bitten by an infected mosquito.

But sometimes you may not have symptoms for months after travel, and rarely years.

If NIAS staff are aware that the patient has a suspected or confirmed case this should be communicated to the Control Room (Emergency or Non-emergency as appropriate) and the staff in the receiving unit when transferring the patient to ensure effective patient care and management.

• Standard Precautions should be used.
• Hand Hygiene should be completed as per the 5 moments in line with usual practice.
• Eye protection should be risk assessed for any concern regarding a splash risk.
• Gloves and Aprons should be risk assessed and worn if contact with the patient’s blood or bodily fluids.
• Laundry should be treated as per usual local policy.

All equipment and the ambulance should have an in-between patient clean, paying particular attention to touch points.

No staff follow up required.