Seven cases of suitcase malaria reported in Gauteng
It is most likely that Anopheles malaria vector mosquitoes were responsible.
SUITCASE malaria, which claimed the life of Cleo de Klerk (25) of Bredell on October 6, is a very rare condition.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), only 72 such cases have been recorded in South Africa since 2007, mostly in Gauteng.
This form of the disease is called odyssean malaria, also known as airport, suitcase, minibus or taxi-rank malaria.
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Seven unusual malaria cases, affecting persons with no recent history of travel to malaria transmission areas, have been reported in recent months in Kilner Park in Pretoria (four patients), Theresa Park in Pretoria (one patient) 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, the institute said.
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.
