8:47am UK, Wednesday January 19, 2011
Travel websites offering last-minute deals should give "explicit" warnings on the risk of malaria, according to a group of specialist doctors.
Gambia is a popular destination for winter sunshine holidays
Holidaymakers who book late bargains can find they have no time to organise malaria prevention tablets or seek the right advice, they said in a letter to the British Medical Journal.
The specialists in infectious diseases from James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough use the example of three Brits who recently returned from Gambia, all of whom had booked through the same travel website and not looked for proper medical advice before travelling.
None had any tablets that would help prevent malaria - and all three contracted severe malaria and were admitted to hospital within two weeks of returning home.
The malaria bug is carried by mosquitos
"Imported cases of malaria are relatively common in the UK, mostly from West Africa, with a considerable proportion occurring in holidaymakers.
"The Gambia is a popular winter sun destination for UK travellers. Malaria is highly endemic there and is a risk to travellers throughout the year," John Widdrington's team writes.
"This risk could be avoided by taking appropriate chemoprophylaxis tablets and taking action to cover up or use sprays and creams to avoid bites.
"The increasing use of websites to make late holiday bookings can make it more difficult to organise medical advice and malaria chemoprophylaxis.
"In addition, many travel websites and holiday brochures - including the website used by our patients - make no specific reference to the risk of contracting malaria.
Gambia is on Africa's west coast
"Travel websites need to include explicit messages about taking medical advice and effective chemoprophylaxis before travelling to malaria endemic areas.
"Advice on allowing sufficient time to organise this might reduce the particular risk to people making late bookings."
The Association of British Travel Agents told Sky News Online: "Most often travel websites do have information on their website about what travellers need to do to protect themselves before they go away.
"Sometimes the issue of booking late means that travellers do not read everything on websites. Similarly airline websites do not carry this type of information.
"It is not only obligatory for Abta members to make their clients aware of compulsory vaccinations (malaria tablets are never compulsory), but also to advise them to seek medical advice."
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