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Malaria

Biff ladyBiff lady
in South Africa: An Elegant Adventure
I'm still very uncertain about taking malaria prevention meds prior to our Sept SA Elegant Adventure trip. I really don't want to take them because of the side effects. How many of you all took them and is it truly necessary? Thanks

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    jdurkinjdurkin
    Hi Biff lady,

    I just overlaid your tour map on to some of the maps I found after googling ... southern Africa malaria risk. That was very interesting.

    I then looked up malaria on: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/malaria/DS00475 I followed most of the sub-threads on that file. That was very frightening.

    I checked the general information on travelling in malaria risk areas. That was very interesting, too.

    All the operators in the field say they take careful precautions when travelling in malaria risk areas. The general consensus seems to be that prevention is better than cure. After all..... the alternative could be very disruptive to a stunning experience ... a) how much gin & tonic (for the quinine) can you drink before breakfast, lunch and dinner and still work a digital camera and b) how hard will it be to frisk every mosquito you meet to separate the carriers from the others? Particularly after all that medicinal gin. Just sayin' ...;)

    As always, do seek your own advice from a qualified medical professional. Then take the advice.

    Cheers,

    Jan
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    Leo MLeo M
    Good on you, Jan. Great advice! Better safe than sorry.

    I can only add that consultation with one's doctor is important. There are different malaria medications that are prescribed for different malarial zones. Your doctor will, if asked, check with the Center for Disease Control to see which one is best for your destinations. On our Tauck safari, we used Larium. When we later went to the remote Tanzanian parks of Ruaha, Kitavi and Mahale, Malarone was prescribed.

    The Larium had no effect on me but made my wife lightheaded. Her dosage was reduced and she was fine. With the Malarone, my wife was fine but I became nauseated. I started taking the pill later in the day and was fine. But, as Jan said, we found ways to take the medication and we benefited.

    I do not presume to tell anyone what to do. The fact is different people respond differently to different malaria medications. If you work with your doctor to find what protects you best, you can then enter malaria zones without worry....and fully enjoy your trip.....Leo M
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