Malaria prevention

Talk to your MinuteClinic provider about when and where you’ll be traveling. They can help you evaluate the risks for infection. If necessary, they can also prescribe preventative anti-malarial medication that will work best in that region. This might include pills or oral medication.

1. You may have to answer a few questions to help us prepare for your visit prior to scheduling your appointment.

2. Check-in varies depending on how you scheduled your appointment.

   If you made your appointment online
   Check in using the email or text message we sent to confirm your appointment. If you prefer to check in using the electronic kiosk, make sure you have your confirmation code.

   If you made your appointment in the clinic
   Sign in at the electronic kiosk.

   If you made a MinuteClinic Virtual Care® appointment
   To join your virtual visit, use the link in the email or text message we sent you to confirm your appointment. Please join 15 minutes before your scheduled visit time. You will need your date of birth and zip code to join the visit.

3. When it's time for your appointment, a provider will call your name.
4. Your provider will conduct a thorough examination based on your reason for the visit, presenting symptoms and health history. Charges will be based on examination and services provided during the visit.
5. At the end of your visit, you will provided with a visit summary, a receipt and educational material about your diagnosis. At your request, we can send your primary care provider information about your visit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 2,000 malaria cases are diagnosed per year in the US. Most infections occur in people who did not take proper precautions before traveling.

The most significant risk factor for developing malaria is living in or visiting areas where the disease is common. The disease is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions of the world where the environment is hot and humid. Malaria transmission can occur in many parts of the world, including:

• Africa
• Latin America
• Parts of the Caribbean
• Eastern Europe
• the South Pacific
• Asia (including South Asia and Southeast Asia)
• The Middle East

Before you travel, be sure to research on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website if malaria is a concern at your destination and what you can do to prepare: https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/country_table/a.html

• Fatigue and muscle pain
• Fever, cough, chills and sweats (flu-like symptoms)
• Headache, chest or abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting

The goal of most preventive measures is to avoid mosquito bites. This is the malaria transmission cycle:

• Uninfected mosquito: A mosquito becomes infected by feeding on an infected person.
• Mosquito transfers the malaria parasite to humans: The infected mosquito bites an uninfected person. The parasite is transferred into their bloodstream, infecting the person.
• Malaria parasite enters the bloodstream and travels to the liver: After an incubation period of 7 to 30 days, the parasite might remain dormant for months or years, depending on the malaria species.
• Release into the bloodstream: The parasites mature in the liver and exit into the bloodstream. Here, they infect red blood cells. This is when people typically develop malaria symptoms.
• The cycle repeats: If a mosquito bites you while you have mature parasites in your blood, the mosquito becomes infected. Once infected, it carries the parasite to the next person it bites.

Since the parasites that cause malaria affect red blood cells, people can also get the disease from exposure to infected blood, including:

• Blood transfusions (although rare in the United States)
• Mother-to-unborn child transmission
• Sharing needles used for drug injections

The best thing you can do to prevent malaria is to take the anti-malarial medication that kills the parasites so you can avoid getting sick. Other actions that you can take to avoid malaria include:

• Avoiding mosquito bites
• For infants, covering baby carriers and strollers with mosquito netting
• Sleeping under insecticide-treated bed netting
• Treating clothes, footwear and tents with permethrin (do not use directly on your skin) or buying pre-treated clothing and gear
• Using a mosquito spray with DEET or another repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency
• Using mosquito nets when sleeping outdoors
• Wearing light-colored clothing that covers your arms and legs, especially at night when you’re outdoors