A Malaria Misdiagnosis Abroad Nearly Cost a Life—Here’s What I Learned as a Doctor
Traveling can be exhilarating. As a physician who had spent five years living and working in Mozambique, I wanted one last adventure before returning to the U.S. to continue my international career. My best friend, also a doctor and a fellow expat in Africa, joined me for a farewell trip through Italy, Greece, Namibia, and Tanzania.
We were experienced clinicians. We’d diagnosed malaria hundreds of times, managed outbreaks, worked in resource-limited settings. We were prepared for anything, or so we thought.
In Rome, I first noticed something was off. My friend was unusually tired. She had a fever and began vomiting. But we were both in denial. We told ourselves it was jet lag or something she ate. Rome has some of the best hospitals in the world, but we didn’t seek medical attention. We kept moving forward with our itinerary.
That was a mistake.
A Rapid Decline in Greece
Our next stop was Athens. We had booked a charming hotel with a view of the Parthenon. That first night, I watched her condition worsen rapidly. The fever was unrelenting. She was disoriented. Something was seriously wrong.
We called a local doctor who came to the hotel. He assumed it was bacterial. But we knew better. This was classic Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest form of malaria. And if not treated urgently, it can lead to cerebral malaria, seizures, coma, and death.
The problem? Greece isn’t malaria-endemic. The local hospital staff dismissed our concerns. They insisted it couldn’t be malaria. After all, “there is no malaria in Greece.” But it wasn’t about Greece, it was about where we had been. We had both lived in high-risk areas. We were both trained to recognize this disease.
I had to fight to get her moved to a private hospital. Thankfully, the doctors there took our concerns more seriously. They agreed malaria was a possibility, but testing would take days, and treatment wasn’t readily available. Medication had to be ordered from abroad. By the time it arrived, my friend was in the ICU.
She spent a month there. She nearly died.
Even Doctors Delay Care
Why am I telling you this story?
Because I’ve learned firsthand how easy it is to dismiss symptoms, especially when you’re a physician or someone who’s used to handling health issues yourself. Even trained professionals sometimes wait too long. Even in countries with excellent healthcare systems, knowledge gaps exist, especially around tropical or imported diseases.
I’ve also seen how devastating delays in diagnosis and treatment can be.
In our case, a combination of denial, unfamiliarity with local protocols, and a lack of region-specific expertise almost cost my friend her life. Had we sought help in Rome, had we connected earlier with a provider who understood our background and risk profile, things might have gone very differently.
The Hidden Gaps in Global Healthcare
The truth is that many countries are not equipped to diagnose or treat diseases that are rare locally. Malaria is almost never considered in European ERs unless a patient explicitly mentions recent travel to endemic regions, and even then, it's often brushed aside.
And this isn’t just about malaria. I’ve since met travelers who struggled with dengue, schistosomiasis, leptospirosis, typhoid fever, all diagnosed late, all easily preventable or manageable with timely care.
Local doctors do their best, but they can’t know everything. And when you're in a place where your illness is statistically “unlikely,” you may find yourself dismissed, misdiagnosed, or simply waiting days for answers.
What I Wish I Had: A Trusted Second Opinion
Looking back, I wish I had had immediate access to a doctor who specialized in tropical medicine or international travel care. Someone I could call or message when I saw those first symptoms. Someone who could have confirmed what we suspected and helped us act faster.
That’s exactly what telemedicine offers.
Today, if I’m traveling and I, or anyone I’m with, gets sick, I don’t hesitate. I schedule a call, and talk to someone who can help right now. No waiting for local testing. No language barriers. No unnecessary ER visits.
In many cases, telemedicine providers can send e-prescriptions to nearby pharmacies, review your medical history, and help you decide when it’s time to go to a clinic or hospital. They can also spot red flags that local providers might miss, especially if you're traveling from regions with different disease profiles.
Why I Always Travel With Telehealth Now
For travelers, especially those visiting multiple countries or coming from endemic areas, telemedicine is a lifeline. It’s fast, reliable, multilingual, and tailored to you, not just to where you are.
If I had access to a service like Altheum during that trip, I would have used it the moment I noticed my friend’s symptoms. I wouldn’t have second-guessed what I knew. And we might have avoided the ICU entirely.
That’s why I created Altheum, to offer the kind of care I wish we had that night in Athens. Care that’s not delayed by borders, assumptions, or logistics.
Altheum connects travelers with experienced, English-speaking doctors—no matter where you are. Whether you're facing a fever in Florence or a rash in Rhodes, don’t wait. We’re here, 24/7, to help you make the right call.
Because sometimes, knowing what to do isn’t enough. You need someone who can act with you.