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Malaria returned to the Torres Strait. What does this mean for continental Australia?
Jun
Malaria is one of the most deadly diseases spread by mosquitoes. Every yearHundreds of millions of people around the world are infected, and half a million people die of illness.
While continental Australia was announced without malaria in 1981From time to time, traveling in time return to Australia with an infection.
Local mosquito infections are extremely occasional. However, last week, two cases of local malaria were reported In the Torres Strait.
What does this mean for local communities? Is this a risk for continental Australia?
What is malaria?
Unlike other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, malaria is caused by protozoan parasites, not viruses. These parasites belong to Plasmodium type. While five of these parasites are considered a problem of human health, Plasmodium Falciparum is the most serious threat.
Symptoms can be gentle and include fever, chills and headache. But sometimes people develop severe symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, convulsions and breathing difficulties.
Without proper medical care, the disease can be fatal. These the most threatened With life -threatening The disease includes infants, children under five years elderly, pregnant women and patients with HIV and AIDS.
How does it spread?
Parasites of malaria spread through the bite of a mosquito carrying a malaria parasite.
Not all mosquitoes can wear a parasite. A group of mosquitoes responsible for most of the malaria transmission is called Anopheles. Aedes AND Cutex Mosquitoes, which are usually associated with the spread of viruses, do not transfer malaria to people.
Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology)IN CC BY-NC-ND
Although drugs are available to prevent malaria, and these They are routinely recommended for travelersThis is not a balanced approach to the community in endangered regions. The cost of medicines, as well Risk parasites can develop drug resistance over timeThey are barriers to high -risk routine utilize in countries.
Alternative strategies include the utilize of mesh treated with insecticides and controlling mosquitoes by spraying insecticides at home and around it. Early diagnosis and treatment of people suspected of infection are also crucial.
“Imported” versus “locally acquired” infections
There is an crucial distinction between “imported” and “locally acquired” cases of malaria.
“Imported” cases mean that the person was a person infected abroad And he returned to Australia, where they were diagnosed and treated. These cases appear in official statistics, but are not the result of local mosquito bits.
Cases “locally acquired” is a place where a person is infected without any travels abroad. These cases often result from parasites introduced for the first time to Australia by infected travelers. Travelers are then bite by local mosquitoes that bite and spread pathogens into people who have not traveled.
The last locally acquired explosion of malaria in continental Australia took place in 2002, when Ten people were infected in the far northern Queensland.
When this happens, it indicates that local mosquitoes carry malaria parasites and there is a significant risk of further infections (but they are not yet diagnosed) or may be diagnosed in the near future. Mosquito control or other initiatives are required to prevent larger explosions.
In the case of Torres Strait, there is also that the infected risk mosquitoes are transported by wind or boats from Papua Up-to-date Guinea.
So what happens in the Torres Strait?
Queensland Health is Currently examination The last two cases of local acquired malaria on the island of Saibai.
But cases of local acquired malaria They are not unusual In the Torres Strait. They often suspect that they are associated with the movement of people to the islands of PNG, a country that informs more than A million suspected cases of malaria each year.
Previous locally acquired cases of malaria in the Torres Strait were reported in 2023 earlier, In 2013, a single case was reported AND Eight cases in 2011.
Tropical atmosphere of the Torres Strait and presence Anopheles Mosquitoes mean that the conditions are suitable for local spread after the introduction of parasites, or through infected mosquitoes or people.
Read more: The Torres Strait islanders have more than a fair participation in the effects of health with climate change
Can malaria spread to the Australia continent?
From the 1980s, only a tiny number of cases have been reported in continental Australia. Most In travelers returning to Australia who were infected abroad.
Historically, cases of malaria have been reported in many parts of the countryEspecially in the 1940s, including the suburbs in Sydney, when the soldiers infected abroad, they returned to Australia.
Mosquitoes capable of spreading parasites are still present. While the most crucial mosquito of malaria in Australia, Anopheles FauratiIs Limited to the northern coastal regions of AustraliaIN Anopheles of the Year Is widespread for most of the country.
But only because there are mosquitoes there, it does not mean that there will be a malaria explosion.
The parasite must be introduced and must be heated enough to complete the life cycle in local mosquitoes. The radiator it is, the less likely it will happen, even if the appropriate mosquitoes are present.
Parasites also face additional challenges. Infected people must be bitten by local Anopheles Mosquitoes, not just mosquitoes. And thanks to current healthcare systems in Australia, untreated patients are less often exposed to mosquito bites.
Malaria is one of the pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes, considered the risk of increasing climate change. But There are many other factors in the game It will be Determine the risk of a future explosion in continental AustraliaEspecially outside the tropical north of the country, such as changing climate and seasonal changes in the number and types of mosquitoes.
How to keep safety
The most crucial way in which local communities and guests Torres Condit can Stay safe means avoiding mosquito bites.
As far as possible, cover with long -sleeved shirts, long pants and covered shoes and apply insect repellent.
Insect screens, both on buildings and in the form of the bed network Ensure protection night.
Read more: Moście Moście? Here’s how to choose a deterrent (and how to utilize it for the best protection)
