A gap year is as much a part of your CV as your first job, so when Harry Yirrell, a 20-year-old student and rugby player, set off for Ghana it was unthinkable that a mosquito bite could end his life

As air travel continues to fall in price, British travellers are increasingly visiting exotic destinations where malaria is prevalent. However, the vast majority are not aware of the hard facts about the disease. It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to contract malaria and although it is a preventable infection, it can be fatal if left untreated.

Harry decided to make the trip to Ghana only a week before flying out. He got all the necessary vaccinations from his doctor and a course of anti-malarial tablets before setting out on the adventure of a lifetime, an overland trip in a lorry taking school supplies via Mauritania to Ghana.

He was there for four months in total, two of those in a village in Ghana. During his stay he wanted to help the village kids and gave away his malaria tablets. Ten days after his return Harry died. Harry's mum, Jo Yirrell, tells his story.

'Harry wasn't ill at all while he was out there, although I don't think he was careful about avoiding bites. When I picked him up from the airport he looked great. He'd lost weight because he'd been eating very healthily and not drinking, but he looked as right as rain. He was a keen rugby player and went straight back to playing.'

Early warning signs

'About a week after he got back he started to get headaches. We thought it was because he hadn't had a drink in four months and he'd been going out, catching up with his friends. On the Friday morning he started sweating. I thought this wasn't right and made him an appointment at the doctor's. He didn't make it to the doctor's because he then got diahorrea. At this point I did think it could be malaria, but I didn't worry too much. I had no idea malaria was a killer.

'I called the doctor and explained his symptoms and he said to keep an eye on him, but if he got any worse, to take him to hospital. On the Sunday morning he woke my husband and I up and said he felt so ill. I took him to hospital and explained that Harry had been to Africa and that he needed a blood test to check for malaria.

'By the time the doctor saw him he was very ill, delirious, with a temperature and sweating. Right before my eyes he became very ill. I rang my husband to say we were waiting for the results of the blood test.

'When the test came back at 2pm, it confirmed that Harry had the worst strain of malaria, plasmodium falciparum. He went into intensive care and they started treating him with quinine and gave him strong painkillers for his headache. He then seemed okay for a couple of days, but they couldn't get the number of parasites in his blood down and were consulting with The Oxford University Centre for Tropical Medicine.

'He began having breathing difficulties in the early hours of Wednesday morning and was moved to Oxford. That was the last time we saw him coherent because he was sedated for the journey.'

False hope

'He remained stable at Oxford and the consultant told us that as only one organ was effected (his lungs) he had a very good chance of surviving. We stayed in the hospital with him that night, but we needed to go home to check on his three younger brothers. On our way back from home we got a call from the hospital saying he'd had another down turn. He died 45 minutes after we returned to the hospital.'

Protect yourself and your family

Since Harry's death, Jo has been working to raise awareness about malaria and is keen for people to become familiar with the dangers.

'People don't know enough about it,' she explains. 'They think if it gets really bad they can just get an injection to cure it and they don't realise that it can kill you. And if it can kill Harry, it can kill anyone. He was young, fit and healthy. He was a very strong person physically and emotionally and had we known more about it, it is unlikely he would have lost his life.'

Precautions to take when visiting malarious destinations:

• Visit your GP, practise nurse or local travel clinic, preferably eight weeks before you travel, for advice on the most suitable anti-malarial tablets for the region you are visiting. Anti-malarial tablets are only 90-100 per cent effective so you do need to take other precautions.
• Make sure you complete the whole course before, during and after your travels as directed by your doctor or healthcare professional.
• Invest in some strong insect repellent with at least 50 per cent Deet (a strong chemical repellent) in the ingredients and apply it regularly to prevent getting bitten.
• Use mosquito nets.
• Keep skin covered up, especially between sunset and sunrise.
• Be aware of the flu-like symptoms of malaria; headaches, a temperature and sweating and visit a medical professional immediately if they occur.