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Malaria cases in Greece prompt warnings against mosquito bites

 
 

Health 25/08/2011

Travellers to Greece are being warned to take preventative measures against mosquito bites after six cases of malaria were reported in less than three months. The victims were not known to have travelled to any countries where the disease is commonplace. Local authorities have stepped up their surveillance of the parasitic disease in the Laconia region and on Euboea, an island north of Athens. Local doctors have also been made aware. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's current health advice: "The risk of catching malaria while in Greece remains extremely low, so there is no need to take anti-malarials. However, travellers should take measures to prevent being bitten" (which will also protect against West Nile Virus, of which there were over 200 cases reported in Greece last year). Any travellers who experience symptoms of malaria - fever, headache, and muscle pains - should seek medical advice immediately. The editorial team

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