UK holidaymakers are being urged to take precautions over visiting exotic locations amid reports of a 20 per cent increase in people visiting malaria-prone destinations.
The warning by travel association ABTA came as new figures revealed that more than 1,500 UK travellers were found to have caught malaria on return from their trips last year, with nearly 75 per cent of cases involving the most dangerous strain of the disease .
ABTA pointed to the fact that Brits have started to replace popular holiday destinations such as France and Spain with more exotic locations that are at-risk from malaria including Goa in India, south east Asia and Africa .
The UK travel group said the surge in popularity of exotic holidays in such destinations in the last ten years could lead to a significant rise in cases of malaria among returning travellers.
In addition, the group said that the growing popularity of last minute holidays among British holidaymakers could mean many people are jetting off abroad without taking precautions against malaria .
Goa has recently seen a 300 per cent increase in malaria after years of being classified as low-risk, while Jamaica has been forced to introduce new control measures in response to two recent cases of malaria in the capital, Kingston .
The number of malaria hotspots is believed to have dramatically increased over the past few years due to climate change and deforestation. The disease is a preventable infection but can be fatal if left untreated.
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Travellers Warned Against Malaria-Prone Destinations Mon, 12 May 2008      Recommended linksOnline travel agents resourcePre-travelling tips Holiday safety tips Travel insurance deals Goa holiday deals Travel news archive Last minute holidays |
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