Blood-giving ban due to malaria

Malaria infections in 12 Greek municipalities have led to citizens and visitors to those areas being banned from giving blood.

The Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) and the National Center for Blood Donation both issued warnings regarding the 12 municipalities – namely Farkadona, Trikaia, Palama, Evrota, Halkidaia, Thiva, Tempe, Marathonos, Western Achaia, Andravida-Kyllini, Lagada and Pylaia – last week after noting that 65 cases of malaria have been registered since the beginning of the year. The number registered for the whole of last year was 85.

Of the 65 registered by KEELPNO this year, 61 are deemed to have been “imported,” that is to say the carriers of the disease were infected abroad. The remaining four cases were infected in Greece.

Malaria largely disappeared in Greece in the mid-1970s and started to return in 2009.