It’s often used as a surprise question by safari guides: What’s the most dangerous creature in Africa?
Most are taken aback when they hear that it is the mosquito, but in terms of annual deaths, the tiny insect is far more deadly than any lion, buffalo, hippo or elephant.
Now, as the climate changes, with increased rainfall and higher temperatures in some areas of southern Africa, scientists are concerned about a resurgence in malaria.
Malaria cases in Mpumalanga jumped fourfold in January compared with a year earlier, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
Johannesburg and Pretoria, where malaria is not endemic, logged more than 400 cases and 11 deaths in the first three months this year, according to NICD.
Climate change is supercharging existing hotspots and lengthening transmission windows, fuelling far more intense outbreaks, say experts.
The lowveld areas of the subcontinent are home to malaria-carrying mosquitoes, but residents of higher-lying areas have become more blasé in taking precautions when visiting malaria areas.
Malaria prophylaxis is often not taken, or not trusted, and that could be deadly, as people returning from an endemic area may mistake the onset of malaria for symptoms of flu.
Moral of the story: don’t become another victim.
