What do I need to know before I travel?
Public Health Scotland logo

Fit for Travel Logo

Information on how to stay safe and healthy abroad. About us.

Malaria in Egypt

03 Jun 2014

The Ministry of Health has reported the emergence of a small cluster of malaria cases in the Al-Adwa village of Edfu in Aswan. A total of 13 cases have been identified and all have received treatment in hospital; two of the cases are due to be released from hospital.

An investigation into the outbreak is taking place with 561 laboratory samples from villagers being examined and spraying of mosquito breeding sites is underway. It is considered possible that malaria has been imported by Sudanese migrant workers who were living in the village.

Advice for Travellers

Malaria tablets are not recommended for travellers to Egypt due to the extremely low risk of malaria and this advice remains unchanged. Travellers however, are advised to avoid mosquito bites in Egypt as standard, as there are other insect-borne infections present in the country. Any fevers should always be reported promptly for medical assessment.