Question: Malaria prevention in high risk group & area? Answer: There are many effective ways to protect yourself against malaria, even in high risk areas. A full list of measures can be found in the "Malaria Overview" section of the website, which has a specific page dedicated to malaria prevention. A direct link to the prevention page can be found here: Malaria Prevention. … [Read more...]
Regular Preventive Malaria Treatment Reduces Risk in Children
Protecting young children from malaria in countries where the mosquito-borne illness is endemic can include preventive drug treatment during the rainy season, when most infections occur. Now, researchers report that delivering an anti-malaria drug monthly, all year long, dramatically reduces the risk of this potentially lethal disease in infants and toddlers. Ninety percent of the 219 million … [Read more...]
Should I Be Checked for Malaria After Returning from India?
Question: I just arrived home to Canada from India on Saturday evening . During my 3 week stay, I was in Delhi, Agra, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Solan and Shimla. While in Delhi my first week there I must have had about 500 or more mosquito bites on my arms, legs, face, even my back sides etc even though I was using mosquito cream (Odomos I think itw as called) and had a repellent plugged in all the … [Read more...]
Malaria in Cape Verde
QUESTION Do you need to take Malaria Tablets in SAL Cape-Verde? ANSWER The risk of malaria in Cape Verde is very low. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US do not recommend taking antimalarials during visits there. In fact, the only part of Cape Verde where a few cases of malaria have been reported is Saõ Tiago Island, so if you visit there, you may just want to be … [Read more...]
CDC Warns of Imported Malaria – U.S. Cases Reach 40 Year High
Increase underscores importance of taking recommended medicines to prevent malaria when traveling In 2011, 1,925 malaria cases were reported in the United States, according to data published in a supplement of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number is the highest since 1971, more than 40 years ago, and … [Read more...]
Multiple Malaria Infections Each Year
QUESTION My name is Olumide and I live in Nigeria. I have had malaria too frequently and it's giving me a lot of concern. I had one last August 2012 and am having another one this October as I am speaking with you. If I should count it, I'll be having nothing less than 6 occurrences in a year. It's always an headache induced malaria whereby after using the ACT combination recommended by WHO, … [Read more...]
Favism (G6PD Deficiency) and Malaria
QUESTION My son has Favism (G6PD deficient). He is going to stay for 2 years in Chad (malaria-endemic country). It is contraindicated for him to take antimalarial drugs. What can we do if he gets a malaria infection? One physician said that he can use Artelum (Artemether + Lumefantrine) for protection. Is it a right prescription? ANSWER Yes, you are correct that Primaquine (which along … [Read more...]
Precautions to Prevent Malaria
QUESTION What precautions can be taken to prevent malaria? ANSWER This is a common question. Communities can try to control or eliminate mosquitoes (who when infected with the malaria parasite can bite humans and transmit the disease) by spraying with insecticide, using biological agents, or draining mosquito breeding areas. These methods are called vector control. On a personal level, … [Read more...]
Anti Malaria Tablets – When to Start
QUESTION I am due to travel to South Goa on 27th October 2012. It is 9th Oct now. It says I should start taking my tablets 1 week before traveling, however I was wondering if it was okay to start taking them now so my body can get used to the side affects before I travel. I do not want to be ill all the time whilst I am away. ANSWER Yes, you do need to take preventive medicine against … [Read more...]
What measures can local people take to limit malaria infection?
QUESTION What measures can local people take to limit malaria infection? ANSWER People living in malarial areas can do a lot to protect themselves from getting malaria. There are community programs for vector control (to control or eliminate mosquitoes) that include draining swamps to remove mosquito breeding habitat, spraying with insecticide, and using biological control … [Read more...]