Lazio on Alert as Boulaye Dia Contracts Malaria | OneFootball

Lazio striker Boulaye Dia has been diagnosed with malaria while on international duty, causing concern at the club.

Lazio Striker Boulaye Has Malaria

The 27-year-old received a call-up from Senegal to represent the national team in their next two qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations. However, the Lions of Teranga announced that the player has contracted malaria, so he’s been left out of the squad.

Uncommon Disease in Football

According to Il Corriere dello Sport, the news came like a bolt out of the blue for Lazio, as this disease is uncommon in the world of football. However, Dia isn’t the first player to be diagnosed with malaria, as previous cases include Yves Bissouma, Moussa Diarra, Didier Drogba, Kolo Touré, Hamed Traore and Christian Kouamé.

Mild Case

In Kouame’s case, Fiorentina lost the player for more than a month. Nevertheless, the source believes Dia’s case to be less serious. Therefore, the symptoms could be similar to flu, and the recovery time could last between a week and 15 days.

Incubation Period

The incubation period of malaria is between seven to 10 days, which means the player was already carrying the parasite when he landed in Senegal. This suggests that he could have contracted it during the previous international break and remained in his system.

Return to Rome

Nevertheless, Lazio are determined to give the former Salernitana man the best treatment possible. So they expect him to return to the Italian capital between Friday and Saturday to receive proper medical care. Dia will remain in quarantine until he gets medically cleared, even though malaria isn’t contagious among humans.