Malaria is a life-threatening disease that is rife in certain parts of the world, typically in tropical and subtropical climates. The symptoms typically develop within 10 days to 4 weeks of contracting the infection, however you can find that the infection can lie dormant for a long time (sometimes up to several months) before symptoms begin to show.

Symptoms include a high fever, excessive sweating and chills or shakes. You could also notice stomach problems like vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and in extreme cases, it can cause a coma.

Malaria is caused by infected mosquitos that carry the Plasmodium parasite and pass it to humans by biting them. When the mosquito bites you, the parasite makes its way into your bloodstream, matures in the liver and then starts infecting your red blood cells. As the parasite multiplies, the infected cells burst open and cause the symptoms that you notice.

Unlike a lot of travel-related preventative measures, malaria prevention is not available as a vaccine. If you are travelling to a country where malaria is a risk (even a relatively low one), then you will need to take tablets to avoid catching the disease.

As well as preventing infection, it’s a good idea to try and avoid coming into contact with it completely. This means minimising your risk of mosquito bites by using insect repellent, wearing clothes that protect and cover the majority of your skin and sleeping under a mosquito net.

When travelling to any foreign country, make sure that you do all of your research properly and educate yourself on the various risks that are involved. Get all of your vaccinations and ensure you are ready to travel, and if you are worried that you have contracted a disease such as malaria then you should go to your nearest emergency department.