Two thousand Britons contract malaria every year — and some tour operators may be putting travellers’ health at risk by offering inaccurate information about the disease.

During malaria-awareness week, which ends today, The Sunday Times surveyed operators who send travellers to malarial destinations to see how much they know about the disease to which their clients may be exposed. The answer? Not enough.

We called the booking line of Thomas Cook Signature and were offered a last-minute holiday, departing this Thursday, at the Southern Palms Beach Resort, near Mombasa, on the Kenyan coast. Malaria is endemic in the area, and you are at greater risk during the rainy season (from April to June). However, when we asked about the disease, the agent put us on hold to check, then proceeded to assure us three times that malaria tablets were “definitely not required”.

“This advice is just plain dangerous,” said Paul Goodyer, of Nomad Medical Centres. “This has been a growing problem, and it stems from the rise of last-minute breaks to far-flung destinations.

“Any tour operator should be advising you to see a health professional, but when you’ve only got a day or two before you fly, that might not be possible. The temptation is to trust to luck — but it only takes one bite from a mosquito to get malaria.”

Thomas Cook apologised for what it described as a misunderstanding: “We have a thorough training programme in place. The brochure includes immunisation advice for malaria when travelling to Kenya and recommends that customers seek advice from a doctor.”

Thomson, Britain’s biggest operator, offered us a week at the Nyali Beach resort, also on the Kenyan coast. When we asked about health in the area, the agent checked with a manager — and told us to make sure our inoculations were up to date. When we pressed further about malaria, she told us: “My manager didn’t mention anything about malaria, no.”

Other operators, including Kuoni and last-minute agents Directline Holidays, performed better, correctly advising us to ask a doctor about malaria before travel. And specialist The Gambia Experience passed with flying colours, even refusing a booking when it transpired we could not arrange a course of tablets in time.