After being bitten by a mosquito, returning from a flight to Cameroon, a flight attendant from Brussels Airlines died last week of an extremely aggressive form of cerebral malaria.
At the request of the husband of the disappeared, Inge Ceulmans (55), it was a colleague who told the story of this tragic story on Facebook. “Inge had just returned from Yaounde after being delayed there. She felt very tired and had back pain. […] On Friday (February 12), she went to see her doctor. She had a little fever. The diagnosis ? The symptoms of the flu… In the evening, she still attended a show by her daughter”.
After feeling better on Sunday, she saw her condition deteriorate Monday evening, prompting her to see her doctor again. Which carried out a blood test, the results of which required emergency hospitalization at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Alas, too late, because the flight attendant died there on Wednesday.
The parasite enters the red blood cells
“Cases of cerebral malaria are – fortunately – quite rare in Belgium, says Dr. Erika Vlieghe, from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Just like the deaths by malaria. There was one last year in our country, while almost every day we have on average a case of malaria imported into our country. Cerebral malaria is a severe and fatal form in some cases, like here. It looks a bit like meningitis.
In this case, the parasite enters the red blood cells which, infected, can migrate to the small vessels of the brain, which will result in irritating the meninges. The patient may then suffer from headaches, have altered, strange behavior, convulsions and plunge into a coma. Infected, the brain can « swell » and cause cranial pressure causing sometimes irreversible brain damage.
If malaria is already present ofthen for a few days, it becomes more and more difficult to treat it and certainly to reduce the damage already caused, whether in the brain or other organs. That said, there are very powerful drugs available to reduce the level of parasites in the blood.”.
Very aspecific first symptoms
Whatever the forms of malaria, the first symptoms are very non-specific. The patient has a fever, he feels muscle pain, he may have vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, cough… In short, so many symptoms that may suggest the flu or gastroenteritis.
“It is precisely for all these reasons that the general practitioner, who is not necessarily familiar with tropical diseases such as malaria, may miss the diagnosis, continues Dr. Vlieghe. No very particular symptom can alert, if not the particular history of the person. To know if she has recently stayed in tropical regions affected by malaria. Therefore, anyone returning from these areas who comes back with a fever should be tested for malaria. As it is taught, anyone returning from the tropics, likely to have been in contact with malaria and presenting with fever is considered to have malaria until proven otherwise.”.
In prevention, there is a combination of measures to take: preventive treatment, but also to protect against mosquito bites, a repellent to be applied as soon as night falls and impregnated mosquito nets for the night, depending on the conditions in which we sleep. Finally, on your return, it is a question of being vigilant at the slightest suspicious symptom and, in case of doubt, consulting without delay.
“We are in shock”
On the side of Brussels Airlines, we are « shocked ». The Belgian company, which has many flights to Africa where the parasite is rife, lists 2 to 3 employees affected by malaria each year. But this is the first fatal case. Each flight crew employee receives a medical kit, including mosquito repellent. “We give clear instructions in countries at risk, such as putting on long sleeves, dressing in plain clothes and not going out at night.we explain to the Belgian company. Zero risk does not exist ».
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