Golfer Natalie Gulbis Pulls Out of LPGA Tour With Malaria, What Happened?
The 30-year-old former winner of the LPGA Tour had to cancel her participation in this year's LPGA tour because of the serious symptoms of a malaria infection that she was fighting.
She is now recovering at her home in Las Vegas and is receiving antiparasitic treatment for the infection. According to the CDC, the symptoms of the infection include fever, headaches, chills, sweats, headache, nausea and vomiting, body aches and malaise (not feeling well). She is expected to be back to the sport and in good health within three weeks.
She wrote on twitter: "I am bummed to not be able to play this weeks LPGA Event in Arizona and appreciate all the sweet comments on Twitter from everyone."
Two weeks prior, Ms. Gulbis had to leave the HSBC Women's Championship in Singapore when she initially became ill. Later it was confirmed that she had malaria.
Malaria is a parasitic infection that infects the red blood cells and is endemic in much of the developing world. There are treatments to prevent acquiring the infection and there are medications to take once infected. The parasite is spread by mosquitoes. In 2010, there were 219 million confirmed cases of malaria worldwide and between 660,000 and 1.2 million people worldwide died from infection. The majority of victims that die from malaria are under 5 years old.
There are many foundations funding research and projects to limit the spread malaria and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has earmarked more than $2 billion for malaria projects. Malaria was once prevalent across much of North America and Europe and through prevention measures, medications and monitoring the disease it was brought under control in those areas and then eliminated. Israel eliminated malaria that was endemic to their country in less than 10 years in the 1950s by draining swamps, which is unrealistic across large swaths of Africa where 90 percent of all malaria infections take place.
For more information about malaria please visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website.