A woman in her 50s from northern Israel was hospitalized at Rambam Medical Center earlier this week after developing symptoms of malaria following a recent organized trip to Zanzibar in Africa. She had stayed in the tropical destination for about a week.
Doctors said the diagnosis was delayed because an earlier test at another hospital produced a false negative. Her condition worsened before she was admitted to Rambam, where she then received the appropriate treatment and is now in the process of being discharged.
Dr. Ami Neuburger, head of Internal Medicine D at Rambam, a senior physician in the infectious diseases unit and director of the hospital’s travel vaccination clinic, said malaria is common in some parts of the world, especially Africa. He said it can be prevented easily with simple medication and that many fears about preventive pills are based on older drugs that are no longer sold. According to him, the drugs available today have almost no side effects.
The report also noted two earlier cases: a 13-year-old boy was hospitalized last year at Safra Children’s Hospital in Sheba after returning from a family trip to Africa and was diagnosed with malaria by Prof. Michal Stein. He needed intensive care but remained stable, and sources said he had not taken preventive pills. About two years ago, an Israeli man who also held Georgian citizenship died in Georgia after contracting malaria in Africa, likely while working in Congo as a guide.
