I just came across this article..... I always try to stress the importance of taking the appropriate medication as required. Sometime Embassy cautionary notices do say that the area is malaria free, and my counter argument is that mosquitoes do not read the same notices.... Notoriously, weather patterns do affect the breeding of the little blighters, so one cannot really say if a specific area is safe enough. So in case of doubt, do take precautions, it isn't even that expensive to purchase from the chemist. On several occasions I used "Chloroquinine and Proguanil" and personally I haven't suffered any side effects from it. Spending £10-15 before you go anywhere hot and sticky, like Africa, the Far East or South America, will make sure that you won't have to be sorry for the rest of your life, if you have one left at the end of the trip....
Agreed. Good advice. Prevention is always better than cure. I think there may be no such thing as a cure for Malaria? Or maybe I'm getting mixed up with some other tropical nasty. I have also noticed a lot of travelers have become more cavalier about not bothering with any medication. I used to spend lengthy periods of time in areas of Africa and India. Many of the medicinal protections (such as Malaria tabs) can only be taken for a certain period of time. I wonder if longer period of exposure could be a contributing factor. When you're not able to take medication, you need to be a lot more careful about 'mechanical' protections and also avoidance techniques.
Yes you're right Peter, no cure exists, you just have to hope your body can fight it off. I took the Malaria Tabs once but as you say you can only take for a limited time. I would take them again if I were going to spend more time in more rural areas.
What about if one lives in a malaria infected country ? Malaria tabs can only be taken for x amount of time. Palawan does have Malaria problems so take precautions.
We should make no mistake about malaria, it's a very serious disease, which in the worst case scenario can be fatal. It really does represent an enormous health problem. I'm just going to to outline some of the methods I was taught over 40 years ago by 'experts'. I'm going to to call them 'mechanical methods' for the prevention of malaria simply because by education, training and vocation I'm a Mechanical Engineer. Also I travelled around many areas of the world where malaria was/is highly prevalent and stayed for more more than 3 months at a time. Minimisation of attack requires:- Awareness of risk.Be sure you have taken time to find out about the level of risks in the areas you will be present. and Bite avoidance. Mosquito bites are most likely during twilight hours and at night. You really must take most precautions during this time. Sleep in a room that has been properly screened with gauze over the windows and doors. Air-conditioning in the room is recommended. Spray the room with an insecticide well before resting or use a mosquito 'burner' to kill any mosquitoes that may have gotten inside. Always use a mosquito net around your bed. Better still use an insecticide impregnated net. Impregnation can last up to six months, depending on how much the net is used. Just remember not to wash the net in between re-impregnation with the insecticide Wearing long trousers, long-sleeved shirts and socks will also protect you, and especially when worn after after sunset. Don't be a martyr to fashion and don't succombe to your loved ones requests. Also, remember that lighter coloured clothing is much less attractive to mosquitoes. Do Use a mosquito repellent containing diethyl toluamide (DEET). This is an effective form of bite-preventive treatment. It has an excellent safety profile in adults, children and pregnant women and has been used in over 8 billion doses in the last 50 years. There will always be people who dislike DEET for whatever reason. An alternative such as non-DEET Jungle Formual, Bayrepel or Mosiguard (made from eucalyptus oil) could be used but I can't say how effective they really area. But you can be sure that insect repellents containing anything over 30 to 50 per cent DEET will be effective in repelling mosquitoes. Finally, I can confirm now that no amount of Gin & Tonic will help you. The quantities of Indian tonic water you would need to consume to have adequate levels of of protective quinine are just huge. Maybe with the corresponding quantities gin added you just would not care anywhere. Yes I've tried that also. It might sound like an effort, but look, life itself is at stake. Stay safe my fellow forumers
good advice and one point I would make is keep clean!!! From reading up mosquitoes are attracted by Human sweat and the chemicals in it. Plus if using DEET when spraying on to you use in a open environment its not good stuff to inhale trust em on that one!! Also even if told malaria is not a problem a big problem in Phill is Dengue Fever. A Family member had a big scare recently and others have had in the past all young fit teenagers and twenty somethings.. Also worth doing is ensuring no water left lying around the house and being aware of your environment but never letting your guard drop. I got a bite that got infect and swelled up on my ankle was when I was on the one day we went in a air con car to Manila and only went to one of Manila poshest hotels and then to the Robinson mall and the only day I wore long trousers all day!! Some how the mosquito i guess had got caught under my trousers!! The other place where you need to be careful is when in the bathroom/wet room if staying in a Phill house. Worth if no Children staying or they have all used for the next few hours to spray the shower with insectcide
the problem in the cr in the phils is open drainage without a s or p trap when dry mosquitos can enter I have never met anyone from cebu local or expat who caught malaria Dengue is a very common diagnosis in cebu when they dont know what you have and the symptoms can fit this mossy is a day time one
