Outbreak of falciparum malaria on Zanzibar island
JAN 28, 2020
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An outbreak of falciparum malaria has been reported by local doctors on the main island of Zanzibar, who have noticed a marked increase in hospitalised cases since October 2019 (source: NaTHNaC).
The spike in incidence is thought to be partly due to waning natural resistance to malaria among the local population, many of whom have either never had the infection before, or not for a long time.
The Zanzibar archipelago has been considered relatively free of malaria for many years, with a prevalence of <1% for the past decade. This led many European countries to stop recommending anti-malarial prophylaxis for travellers who are not also visiting the mainland since 2005.
However, in view of the recent upsurge in incidence, anti-malarials are once again recommended as a precaution for most travellers to the main island.
NB: To date there has been no official notification of the outbreak by the Tanzanian authorities. Falciparum malaria remains a significant, ongoing risk on the East African mainland.
