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Visiting friends and family

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NAME:
Stoness Msefula

AGE WHEN CONTRACTED MALARIA:
49

OCCUPATION:
Nurse

WHERE DID SHE CONTRACT THE DISEASE:
Malawi

TYPE OF TRAVEL:
Visiting friends and relatives

Situation: Stoness took a three week trip back to Malawi, the country where she was born, to visit friends and relatives.
Like many people who return home to malarious destinations, Stoness wrongly assumed that she had natural immunity to malaria and did not take any antimalarials or practice bite prevention.

Outcome: On her return to the UK, Stoness began to feel extremely ill and for ten days she was bed-ridden with a high temperature, cold sweats, pounding headaches and severe bouts of vomiting. After eventually visiting her GP, she was diagnosed with malaria and was told that she was very lucky to have survived for so long without any medical treatment. Stoness took a risk that could have killed her; she should have sought medical advice as soon as she started to feel unwell. Now she is fully aware of the importance of taking precautions when visiting any country with malaria.