The key facts

  • Moscow resident hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of malaria after a trip to Tanzania
  • According to Baza, medications for treatment are being gathered from all over Moscow with the help of other tourists
  • Tanzania is among the regions with a risk of malaria infection

Infection and hospitalization

A Moscow resident contracted malaria during a vacation in Tanzania and was hospitalized at Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 1 with a confirmed diagnosis. This was reported by the Telegram channel Baza, which is cited by Gazeta.Ru. Presumably, the infection occurred during a safari; according to the channel, the woman did not use mosquito protection.

Difficulties with treatment

The treatment is proving difficult: the patient has to have her high temperature brought down daily with paracetamol IV drips. According to Baza, the medications needed for treatment have to be gathered literally from all over the capital — other tourists who vacationed with the victim are helping with this; the channel writes that treating malaria in Moscow is harder than in Tanzania. This information comes from one of the trip participants and has not been officially confirmed.

Context: malaria and carriers

Tanzania is among the regions where there is a risk of contracting malaria, which is carried by infected mosquitoes. Earlier, biologist Anton Maskaev told Gazeta.Ruthat the mosquito Anopheles plumbeus is the only species in Russia and Europe capable of transmitting dangerous tropical malaria; in addition to the malaria virus, it is involved in spreading West Nile fever, dirofilariasis, and Japanese encephalitis. It was also previously reported that a new method of fighting the malaria pathogen had been found.