Fatal illnesses of Malaria onboard

The Hong Kong Marine Department has issued an information note regarding two fatal illnesses of malaria happened on two Hong Kong registered cargo ships last year in areas of Central Africa to draw the attention of operators to the lessons learnt from these incidents.

The Incident

In the first incident, a cargo ship sailed from Owenda, Gabon to Durban, South Africa with manganese ore cargo onboard. Two days after departure, the chief cook reported to master that he had caught fever for four days with high body temperature. On the next day, the master reported to the company and asked for radio medical advice. Paracetemol tablets were served to the patient. The condition of the chief cook deteriorated a week later and the ship was diverted to port “Elizabeth” of South Africa for emergency treatment. Upon arrival, local paramedics declared that the chief cook had passed away.

In the second incident, a cargo ship sailed from Equatorial Guinea to Zhangjiagang, China with timber/log cargo onboard. Four days after departure, one crewmember reported to the master that he had caught fever. Medicine for fever treatment was given to the crewmember and his body temperature was monitored. When the ship arrived at Durban, South Africa one week later, the patient was sent to local hospital for medical treatment. Immediate blood test confirmed malaria affection and the patient passed away after eleven days’ treatment in the hospital.

The management companies should ensure that procedures for safe operation in high risk of malaria area are complied with. Particular attention should be drawn to the following:

Source: Hong Kong Marine Department