Israeli Man Hospitalized in ICU with Malaria After Zanzibar Work Trip

A 25-year-old Israeli man contracted malaria during a four-day work-organized trip to Zanzibar and was hospitalized in intensive care upon his return at Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital. Initially in serious condition, he has shown improvement following intensive treatment and continues to recover. This is the second recent case of malaria in Israelis returning from Zanzibar; Rambam Hospital recently reported a northern Israeli woman hospitalized with a delayed malaria diagnosis due to a false negative test.

The man, generally healthy before the trip, began experiencing high fever, chills, muscle pain, extreme weakness, and jaundice about three weeks after returning to Israel. He sought medical care and was diagnosed with malaria, a parasitic disease transmitted by infected Anopheles mosquitoes, which can cause symptoms days to weeks after infection and may be life-threatening without timely diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Ami Mayo, head of the general intensive care unit at Assuta Ashdod, noted the patient received intensive supportive care and continuous monitoring, with gradual improvement but still requiring ongoing treatment. Professor Tal Baruch, head of infectious diseases and infection prevention at Assuta Ashdod, emphasized the importance of medical preparation before travel to destinations like Zanzibar. He advised consulting travel clinics for professional advice and preventive treatment when indicated, as proper preparation can often prevent malaria entirely.

Baruch also stressed that symptoms can appear weeks after returning, so anyone developing fever after visiting malaria-risk areas must inform their doctor about their travel history to expedite diagnosis and save lives. The recent increase in malaria cases among Israelis returning from Zanzibar highlights the need to raise public awareness about the disease and preventive measures.