18 July 2026
(Photo: Associated Press)
A case of imported tropical malaria has been reported in the Odesa region. The disease was diagnosed in a resident of Izmail who had returned from Africa. The man is undergoing treatment, and his condition is stable.
This was reported to Suspilne by Yevdokia Martynova, head of the Danube Basin Department of the Odesa Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Branch for Sanitary Protection of Territories and Modes of Transport under the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
According to her, the man had been working as a construction worker in the Republic of Guinea for four months, where malaria is a common disease. He did not undergo preventive treatment for malaria before his trip or during his stay in the country.
The first symptoms appeared about a week after his return to Ukraine. The man experienced a sudden spike in temperature, severe weakness, muscle and joint pain, headache, and nausea.
After he sought treatment at the infectious diseases ward of the Central District Hospital in Izmail, doctors suspected malaria. A blood test confirmed the diagnosis: tropical malaria.
“The patient is currently continuing to receive specific antimalarial treatment in the infectious diseases ward. His condition is considered stable. All necessary anti-epidemic and entomological measures are being carried out in the malaria-affected area,” Martynova noted.
According to the official, this is the first case of imported malaria in the Izmail district in the past five years.
At the same time, four cases of imported malaria have already been registered in the Odesa region since the beginning of 2026. One of them resulted in the death of a patient who sought medical help too late.
Malaria is a dangerous parasitic disease transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. It is most prevalent in countries in Africa, Asia, South America, and Oceania. The main symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, weakness, and profuse sweating. Without timely treatment, the disease can lead to serious complications and even death.
According to experts, all cases of malaria registered in Ukraine are imported. People become infected while traveling in countries where the disease is prevalent, and symptoms appear after they return home.
Martynova also warned that during the summer, there is a risk of local malaria cases in the Izmail district due to conditions favorable for the breeding of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
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