December brings late nights, family gatherings, road trips, and plenty of time outdoors. And while most of us are thinking about food, travel, and celebration, mosquitoes are still active in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. You don’t need to live in a malaria area to be at risk. Holiday travel and outdoor activities can expose you to bites without realising it.
- We spend more evenings outdoors in December
From barbecues and parties to church events and New Year’s celebrations, December means more time outside at night, which is exactly when malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite. Even warm, dry evenings can keep mosquitoes active, especially if there is any standing water nearby where they can breed.
- Heat and humidity can still keep mosquitoes active
Mosquitoes don’t rely only on heavy rainfall. Warm temperatures and humidity help them survive, and many places have small pockets of standing water from rivers, puddles, buckets, tanks, and household containers. These can be enough for mosquitoes to breed, even during drier summers. If your area does experience rain at this time of year, your risk is higher because rainfall usually increases mosquito breeding.
- Don’t confuse malaria symptoms with “holiday flu”
December heat, tiredness, travel, and late nights often make people assume they’re “run down.” But early malaria symptoms can look very similar to flu or heat exhaustion.
Watch out for:
- Fever or chills
- Headaches
- Feeling weak or dizzy
- Nausea or body aches
If you’ve travelled to (or through) a malaria-risk area, get tested immediately, even if you think it’s just a normal festive-season bug. Early treatment makes recovery much easier.
- Simple ways to stay safe:
- Apply mosquito repellent before heading out
- Dress kids in long sleeves when they play outside in the evening
- Use coils or citronella candles when sitting outdoors
- Sleeping with windows open for cool air is tempting but make sure there’s a screen, or use a fan to keep mosquitoes away.
References
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-025-05996-5
https://www.nicd.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Malaria-FAQs_19Jan2024.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/data-research/index.html
