10% of residents in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga are at risk of contracting malaria. Though transmission is seasonal, malaria cases began to rise in October, and are expected to peak in January, waning off around May.
When an infected mosquito bites you, it introduces parasites into your body that cause malaria. Although malaria is more common in areas where it is hot and humid, there are higher chances of malaria spreading when rainfall increases.
What are common malaria symptoms?
- Fever and flu-like symptoms
- Shaking chills
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid heart rate
- General feeling of discomfort
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Muscle or joint pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Cough
How can you protect yourself and your family?
Speak to your doctor or healthcare provider, especially when you live in the aforementioned areas, or if you’ll be travelling there for the holidays. The best care is preventative care. If you are concerned about contracting malaria, get your family vaccinated or get preventative medication. Some pharmacies and clinics offer malaria prevention medication at low cost. Clicks special offers often have mosquito repellant sprays and ointments, and their website has plenty of information regarding the correct malaria medications, including what to give children under 5 and pregnant women.
In order to lessen your risk of contracting malaria, you should also take extra measures to avoid mosquito bites:
- To protect exposed skin from mosquito bites, use DEET (diethyltoluamide) insect repellent.
- Install screens on doors and windows.
- Apply an insect repellent like permethrin on clothing, mosquito nets, sleeping bags, tents, and other materials.
- Keep skin covered by wearing long sleeves and pants.
- Cover beds and mattresses with mosquito netting.
How rainfall increase influences Malaria frequency
During the rainy season, there is a greater risk of illness epidemics. When floodwaters recede, backflow from drains that have combined with the rainwater might get stranded in open locations. These stagnant ponds frequently serve as breeding grounds for bacteria and mosquitoes, which raises the prevalence of waterborne and insect-borne illnesses.
Global warming and climate changes (higher temperatures and more rain) also affect the growth, behaviour, and geographic spread of insects like mosquitoes.
South Africa’s annual temperatures have risen noticeably faster than the world average during the past 50 years. The increases have been more pronounced in Limpopo, where temperatures have been rising by an average of 0.12 °C per ten years. Small annual changes have a significant impact because the risk of malaria is raised by these higher temperatures. Temperatures between 17°C and 35°C are ideal for the malaria mosquito and parasite. Warmer temperatures enable vector mosquitoes to grow more quickly, populate new areas, and disperse diseases that are transmitted by these insects.
Additionally, more rainfall may result in more places where mosquitoes that carry disease reproduce. Breeding grounds for malaria-carrying vector mosquitoes are impermanent, stagnant sources of water. According to research conducted in Limpopo, springtime flooding is typically accompanied by an increase in the frequency of summertime malaria cases.