There is no malaria vaccine available to travelers, so preventing this serious illness relies on malaria medication and on barrier protection with insect repellents and permethrin. We provide both at a pre-travel consultation ($95 per person) at 110 East 55th Street in Midtown East, Manhattan.
The New York Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine uses the BinaxNOW rapid malaria test. This test allows us to tell you, with one drop of blood within 15 minutes, whether or not you have malaria. Our travel health specialists are trained to help you avoid malaria, to recognize its symptoms, and to treat it. Our medical director, Dr. Bradley A. Connor, has participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force on Travel Medicine and Malaria Prevention.
Book online (opens in a new tab)Call (212) 734-3000
Fever after a trip to a malaria area? Malaria can be life-threatening, and you should be evaluated right away. Post-travel visits are booked through Dr. Connor's practice, in the same office: go to www.drconnornyc.com (opens in a new tab) or call (212) 988-2800.
Malaria: common questions
What is malaria?
Malaria is a serious vector-borne illness, which means it is a disease transmitted by insects. In this case, it is spread by mosquitoes infected with microscopic parasites. Although the disease is uncommon in cooler climates, it is still very common in subtropical and tropical locales, killing hundreds of thousands of people each year. Anti-malaria health campaigns are focused on prevention, including the use of mosquito nets to surround beds and prevent mosquitoes from biting during sleep.
How can I prevent malaria when I travel?
There is no malaria vaccine available to travelers. Prevention combines malaria medication with barrier protection: insect repellents, permethrin, and mosquito nets around beds to prevent bites during sleep. At a pre-travel consultation we review the health risks at your destination, including malaria, and prescribe malaria medication when it is recommended. A consultation is required before medications can be prescribed, and the fee is $95 per person.
What symptoms does malaria cause?
Malaria symptoms typically include:
- High fever
- Shaking chills
- Extreme perspiration when the fever breaks
- Headache
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
Initial symptoms usually begin to appear within a few weeks after being bitten by a mosquito infected with malaria. Not everyone has all the symptoms at one time, and symptoms may disappear and then recur long after the disease was contracted, sometimes for months or even years.
How is malaria treated?
Malaria is treated with specific types of medication, sometimes for prolonged periods of time. The type of medication is determined by the specific type of parasite that is causing the infection, whether or not you are pregnant, the intensity of your symptoms, age, and other factors. The most common anti-malaria medication types include:
- Chloroquine
- Quinine sulfate
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Mefloquine
- Atovaquone and proguanil in combination
Some malaria parasites have developed resistance to medications, and as a result, successfully treating malaria can be tricky, especially if the disease is allowed to progress without treatment. If you have traveled to an area where malaria is present and you develop symptoms, you should schedule an evaluation right away so you can be checked for the presence of malaria parasites and treated as soon as possible. To book a post-travel evaluation, go to www.drconnornyc.com (opens in a new tab) or call (212) 988-2800.
For more information on malaria prevention, please contact our office at (212) 734-3000.
Related: travel vaccines, vaccine and consultation prices, dengue fever and mosquito bite prevention, and care for fever and other illness after travel.