Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, a major spike in malaria cases have been experienced in the last weeks.
Two weeks ago, 590 people have been diagnosed in the Mopani district, according to sources in the health industry.
Dr Shani van den Heever of Dr Spies and Partners with surgeries in Tzaneen and Modjadjiskloof, told Herald they have been inundated with new cases of malaria.
“We have had a sudden increase in the last two weeks. At our surgeries alone, three to four cases per doctor per week have been diagnosed.”
Van den Heever said that with the Covid-19 pandemic, patients assume that they have symptoms of the virus, forgetting that malaria is the biggest known enemy.
Dr Ig van Rensburg of Peacemed confirmed that their surgery has also experienced an increase in malaria patients of which some were children. He said that doctors have a diagnostic dilemma against the current Covid-19 pandemic background and has to be vigilant not to overlook symptoms of malaria.
Malaria is a notifiable disease and in the last few years doctors have experienced a minor increase of malaria during the “malaria season”, which is from December to February. Doctors say they had few cases in malaria early in the season.
It is understood that at Mediclinic in Tzaneen four patients were hospitalised in March. On Tuesday, the number of cases hospitalised in April was already on ten. Many of these cases were from the Mooketsi, Modjadjiskloof and Letsitele (Eiland) area.
Van den Heever said most cases diagnosed have been caused by the common plasmodium parasite, transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Patients experience fever, cold fever, headaches, severe body ache, fatigue and in some cases diarrhea. These symptoms could easily be confused with flu. “If malaria goes untreated it can cause cerebral malaria which is why an early diagnosis is essential,” she said.
Malaria remains Limpopo’s and the Mopani district’s main enemy and should not be underestimated or forgotten, Van den Heever said. “If you have a fever without a known cause, you have to test for the disease, even if you live in town.”
Mediclinic’s Marlize Delport confirmed that the hospital has had an increase of malaria. This was also confirmed by the manager of the Malaria Institute in Tzaneen.
* A grade 2 learner from Duiwelskloof Primary School, Mirie Vermeulen, passed away on 6 March of malaria. Last week, in Tzaneen, a preprimary school notified parents to be vigilant as one of their learners was diagnosed with malaria.
