National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says it is observing a significant increase in malaria cases in the endemic provinces and Gauteng.

It says many cases of severe malaria are being recorded due to late presentation or late detection.

The Institute has urged people with fever or ‘flu-like’ illness and who reside in a malaria-risk area in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga or have travelled to a malaria-risk area, in the past six weeks, to be tested.

Other malaria symptoms include chills, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain.

The NICD has warned that undiagnosed and untreated malaria rapidly progresses to severe illness, with a potentially fatal outcome.