Malaria claims young man (25) from Bredell
Residents are advised to take preventive measures against mosquito bites in and around their homes
A memorial service was held for a young Bredell man on Thursday who died after contracting malaria.
His friend is still in hospital recovering from the same disease.
Cleo de Klerk (25), who died on October 6, had never left Kempton Park and it is unclear how he contracted the disease.
According to De Klerk’s girlfriend of the past two years, Tanyia Mangiagalli, Cleo started showing flue-like symptoms on September 29.
As his condition did not improve, he visited a doctor who diagnosed malaria, a family member, who did not want to be named, said.
De Klerk was admitted to a normal ward at Tembisa Hospital. He was transferred to ICU when a bed became available. He died on Friday morning, October 6.
Mangiagalli said Cleo worked in logistics for a Pomona import and export company, where various containers were handled. However, it is not known how and where he contracted the disease.
De Klerk and a close friend, who is also from Kempton Park, became sick at the same time. The friends lived about a 10-minute drive from each other. His friend is recovering.
De Klerk, an ex-learner of Hoërskool Kempton Park, visited his friend shortly before he fell ill.
According to the National Institute for Communicalbe Diseases (NICD), unusual malaria cases, affecting persons with no recent history of travel to malaria transmission areas, have been reported in Pretoria (four patients) and Kempton Park (two patients).
It is most likely that Anopheles malaria vector mosquitoes, which had been accidentally transported by vehicles from malaria areas, were responsible. This form of disease is called odyssean malaria, also known as airport, suitcase, minibus or taxi-rank malaria, the NICD said.
It is a very rare condition. since 2007, only 71 such cases have been recorded in South Africa, mostly in Gauteng.
Understandably, the absence of a travel history often leads to the diagnosis of malaria being delayed, with flu being most commonly assumed as the cause of illness.
Experts from the NICD are assisting the provincial and district departments of health to investigate the incidents. No evidence of temporary vector mosquito-breeding in the areas has been found, and the occurrence of these cases does not mean that malaria is spreading to new areas in South Africa.
Residents are advised to take preventive measures against mosquito bites in and around their homes and to seek medical attention for flu-like illness (mainly fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pains) that progressively worsens over a short period.
Medical practitioners need to be aware of the similarity in symptoms between influenza and early malaria infection, understand that a negative malaria test does not necessarily rule out the diagnosis, and to re-test if illness persists or gets worse.
The chance finding of abnormally low platelet counts, in blood samples tested in diagnostic laboratories for unexplained illness, may indicate malaria infection and should be urgently investigated for this possibility.
Condolences for Cleo de Klerk
Condolences poured in for this young man on his Facebook page since his death.
Juan Booyse: “RIP Will Smit. It was a privilege knowing and training with you. You’ll be sorely missed big guy.”
Andrea Lexow: “Cleo my buddy… Jinne, ek weet nie eers waar om te begin nie, want my hart is seer. Jy was ‘n goeie buddy en ons tye was awsume, al ons laggies en al die kere wat ek saam jou en jou dad gekuier het en ek, jy en Tanyia Mangiagalli, wat ek net so lief het en op die oomblik by wil wees en stywwe drukkie wil gee. Ek gaan jou so baie mis my buddy ?. Sterkte aan al die families … my gebede gaan na julle toe.”
Nico Prinsloo: R.I.P my vriend. Ons sal jou nooit vergeet nie. Jy was ‘n groot deel van ons lewens. Ons almal wens dit was nie waar nie.
Susan von Mollendorf: “Cleo, jy was soos ‘n kind in ons huis en ‘n great pel vir Nico. Ek en jy het saam verjaar en veral dan gaan ek jou nog meer mis. RIP”
