Malaria cases are rising in Gauteng, placing Pretoria residents on alert as health officials warn that early symptoms are often mistaken for flu or fatigue, reports Pretoria Rekord.

Malaria symptoms are described as flu-like and non-specific, including:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle/joint pain

According to the Gauteng Department of Health, malaria cases in the province have increased significantly in recent months, with hundreds of infections and multiple deaths already recorded this year.

The department has warned that while Gauteng — including Pretoria — is not a malaria-endemic area, the rise is being driven largely by travel to high-risk regions such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, as well as seasonal factors such as increased rainfall and mosquito activity.

Officials have also raised concerns over delayed diagnosis, noting that symptoms are often mistaken for flu, which can lead to severe illness or death if treatment is not started early.

However, a suburb-by-suburb breakdown indicating which Pretoria areas have recorded the most cases is not yet available.

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