‘Very unlikely’ Natalie Gulbis contracted malaria in Singapore: Health Ministry
It is “very unlikely” LPGA golfer, Natalie Gulbis contracted the malarial parasite in Singapore, health officials said, according to a inSing.com report Saturday.
Malaria image/CDC
Health officials back up their statement with the following facts: The incubation time between contracting the malaria parasite and the onset of symptoms is typically more than one week and the city-state of Singapore has declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization since the early 1980s.
Natalie Gulbis withdrew from last week’s RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup to recover from a confirmed case of malaria, according to a LPGA statement.
Gulbis competed in a tournament in Thailand prior to traveling to Singapore where she withdrew from the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.
Malaria is caused by a parasite that is passed from one human to another by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. After infection, the parasites (called sporozoites) travel through the bloodstream to the liver, where they mature and release another form, the merozoites. The parasites enter the bloodstream and infect red blood cells.
The parasites multiply inside the red blood cells, which then break open within 48 to 72 hours, infecting more red blood cells. The first symptoms usually occur 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, though they can appear as early as 8 days or as long as a year after infection. The symptoms occur in cycles of 48 to 72 hours.
The disease is a major health problem in much of the tropics and subtropics. The CDC estimates that there are 300-500 million cases of malaria each year, and more than 1 million people die from it. It presents a major disease hazard for travelers to warm climates.
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