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Kota Kinabalu: Monkey malaria accounted for nearly all of Sabah’s 1,180 malaria cases in 2025, highlighting the urgent need for more proactive prevention among communities living near forests, a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) expert said.

Professor Dr Jenarun Jelip of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences said data from the Sabah State Health Department and the Ministry of Health showed that of 2,596 malaria cases reported nationwide in 2025, 2,063 were monkey malaria, while 533 were human malaria cases, mostly imported.

He noted that Malaysia no longer faces a significant threat from human malaria after successfully eliminating local transmission, but warned that monkey malaria remains a major concern, particularly in Sabah due to geographical factors and human activities.

Monkey malaria occurs through spillover infection when Anopheles mosquito that have bitten infected monkeys subsequently bite humans, especially when people enter forested areas, he explained.

Dr Jenarun said symptoms vary depending on the parasite species but typically involve recurring fever cycles, with patients experiencing bouts of high fever, chills and sweating every 12, 36 or 72 hours.

He added that this differs from dengue, which usually presents as a sudden high fever accompanied by muscle aches and pain behind the eyes.

Those at higher risk include individuals involved in forest-related activities such as logging, research, ecotourism and recreational pursuits, as they are more exposed to mosquito bites.

He said key challenges in treatment include poor patient compliance with medication and delays in seeking care, which can lead to serious complications.

“Some patients do not seek early examination despite showing symptoms, and the disease is only detected at a critical stage,” he said.

Malaria treatment typically takes about three days, although certain cases may require up to two weeks, with patients usually admitted to hospital for close monitoring.

On prevention, Dr Jenarun stressed the importance of personal protective measures such as wearing long-sleeved clothing, using mosquito repellent and employing mosquito coils.

He added that UMS is currently conducting research to develop rapid detection methods specifically for monkey malaria, alongside community-based prevention programmes.

“We want to empower communities so they can take preventive measures at both individual and community levels,” he said.