Belgium - Flemish Brabant couple die of malaria, “no worries for the population” says the Flemish Health Care Agency

[Gert van der Hoek]

A mosquito carried by plane, presumably


The two people were probably infected by a mosquito transported by plane to Melsbroek or Zaventem airport, Joris Moonens, spokesperson for the Flemish Health Care Agency, announced on Saturday morning at a conference of press at the Kampenhout town hall. “The people of Kampenhout should not worry“, adds Mayor Kris Leaerts.

“There is no danger for the population of Kampenhout“, reassures Joris Moonens.”The deceased couple were reportedly stung in mid-September. So if other people were bitten by the same mosquito at the same time, they would have already developed symptoms of the disease. This is a very rare case, an unfortunate coincidence.“

According to the Flemish Health Care Agency, only one other case of contamination with the malaria virus was recorded on Belgian soil in 2014, but it is the first time that people have died of malaria after contamination in Belgium.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Local malaria transmission Belgium

Opening date: 13 October 2020

Latest update: 16 October 2020

Epidemiological summary On 10 October 2020, the regional health authorities reported two fatal malaria cases in the municipality of Kampenhout, next to Brussels Zaventem international airport and Melsbroek airport. The two cases have an epidemiological link. Both cases had no recent travel history abroad. The Agency for Care and Health from the Flemish government and the Institute of Tropical Medicine are investigating these infections, which are presumed to have occurred in mid-September. The infections were caused by the Plasmodium falciparum species. Regional authorities will conduct entomological investigations in the concerned area.

Background: This is the second report of airport malaria cases in continental EU/EEA this year. In August 2020, three airport malaria cases were reported in Paris, France.

Source: Local Authorities

ECDC assessment These cases are considered sporadic and likely to be the result of a transmission by one or more infected mosquitoes transported by aircraft from a malaria-endemic country. Assuming i) there is no longer introduction of infected mosquitoes and ii) a two- to three-week survival of Anopheles mosquitoes, no further transmission is expected. Considering that the incubation period for Plasmodium falciparum can be up to one month it cannot be excluded that further cases would be detected in the coming days, but the likelihood is very low. Airport malaria remains a rare event, with limited numbers of cases being reported in recent years. In 2017, ECDC published the Rapid Risk Assessment ?Multiple reports of locally-acquired malaria infections in the EU?mentioning two airport malaria cases in France. The conclusions of this assessment remain valid.

Actions ECDC will continue to monitor this event and will report again if epidemiological updates become available.