Malaria – contemporary problem in shipping and maritime tourism

Among the diseases associated with maritime traveling and tourism, malaria continues to pose a major health treat due to its wide distribution in tropical regions and severe and life-threatening clinical course. For the European countries and Bulgaria the major obstructions in the control of malaria and other imported parasitic diseases are the rising number of travels and increased immigration from countries with endemic distribution. Occupational risk of contracting malaria for Bulgarian and foreign ship crews continues to be the most important problem for the Varna region. In a globally connected world, the control of imported malaria and the prevention of its local distribution require both active control and continuous training of general practitioners, ground and naval administration in the constantly changing aspects of the disease and effective collaboration between all of them.