Ship Death Due to Malaria

September 10, 2004
Published in the Galveston Daily News 09/08/04 
Published in the Houston Chronicle 09/08/04
Published in the Associated Press 09/07/04

La Marque - Malaria was the cause of death for a 36-year-old sailor who died aboard a ship sailing to the Galveston area last week, according to Dr. Mark Guidry, Galveston County Health Authority. The man who was returning from a trip to West Africa, had symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever and malaria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed today that tests from Wednesday’s autopsy indicate the death was due to malaria infection. The autopsy was performed by Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Stephen Pustilnik, a UTMB associate professor of pathology, and Dr. Judy Aronson, also of UTMB.

The ship which has been in voluntary quarantine offshore has been given permission to proceed to its original destination.

Dr. Guidry said malaria is common in many developing countries and travelers who visit these areas risk getting malaria. About 1,200 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. Cases in the United States are typically among travelers and immigrants returning from malaria-risk areas, many from sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Malaria is not transmitted from person to person like a cold or the flu. You cannot get malaria from casual contact with malaria-infected people. Infection with any of the malaria species can make a person feel very ill and if not promptly treated, may be fatal. Although malaria can be fatal disease, illness and death from malaria are largely preventable. For more information on malaria travelers and other interested parties can visit http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/.

Dr. Dana Beckham, Chief Epidemiologist for the Galveston County Health District states the District played an important role in the investigation. Beckham says, “we played a support role to many agencies by developing a risk assessment being completed by crew members onboard the ship, and monitoring the health of the remaining crew during this voluntary quarantine.”

Multiple agencies worked together during the course of the investigation including the Galveston County Health District, the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, and the CDC. These agencies work regularly with hospitals and medical providers in the community to protect the public’s health. The Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. owners of the ship also worked cooperatively with authorities involved in the investigation.