Paradise turned into a trap: Malaria returns to Zanzibar - and Israelis are already getting infected

Malaria has returned to Zanzibar after years in which it was considered free of the disease. Galit Avdar, who was infected during a vacation, was hospitalized in serious condition. Experts warn Israeli travelers and call for taking precautions.

Malaria has returned to Zanzibar after nearly 20 years in which the island was considered free of the disease, posing a health risk to Israeli travelers. Galit Avdar, who contracted malaria during a vacation in Zanzibar about two years ago, was hospitalized in intensive care with liver and brain damage, and doctors feared for her life. Prof. Eli Schwartz, who treated her, warns of a renewed outbreak and recommends that travelers take preventive medication. However, some travel agents still claim there is no malaria in Zanzibar. In the past decade, about ten malaria patients who returned from the island have been hospitalized in Israel. Meanwhile, a study by the Leumit Research Institute found a statistical link between the use of some antimalarial drugs and lower mortality, but emphasized that this is a correlation, not proof.