QUESTION: I'm in a malarious country and I had no idea about anti-malarials until I got here, so I started taking anti-malaria(doxycicline) two weeks late. It has been three weeks since I started taking the medicine. Do you think it would work or should I stop taking it? ANSWER: It depends a bit on where you are, and what types of malaria are in your region. Plasmodium falciparum usually … [Read more...]
What is Malaria?
QUESTION: What is malaria? ANSWER: Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Transmitted by mosquitoes, there are several different kinds of malaria distributed throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, causing somewhere between 300-500 million cases of disease each year, and as many as 1 million deaths. In fact, malaria is one of the biggest … [Read more...]
Malaria Prevention for Seniors
QUESTION: I am a healthy senior citizen (73 years) and I am considering a trip with Semester at Sea. One of the ports they plan to visit is Ghana. I see the CDC says Ghana is a "high risk" area for malaria. I think I remember being told (at the U of W Travel Medicine Clinic) a few years ago that the malaria drugs are problematic for Seniors. With the Semester at Sea ship stopping at … [Read more...]
How to Prevent Malaria
QUESTION: What is the prevention of malaria? ANSWER: Malaria can be prevented in a number of ways, the main three of which are bite reduction, prophylaxis and vector control. Bite reduction just means steering clear of mosquitoes, and specifically those that transmit malaria. These bite mostly between dusk and dawn, so if walking around at these times of day in a malarial area, it is … [Read more...]
Traveling and Pregnant
QUESTION: Hi, I am 3 months pregnant but thinking about going on vacation to Belize in a few weeks time. Should I think about taking something against malaria? ANSWER: It’s good you asked because getting malaria while pregnant can be much more serious than when not pregnant, and can cause terrible problems to both you and your baby. Therefore, it is always advisable to consult your own … [Read more...]
Malaria in Brazil
QUESTION: Is there Malaria in Brazil? If so, what pills do I need to take? ANSWER: Yes, there is malaria in many parts of Brazil, and more than one type: about 75% of cases in Brazil are caused by Plasmodium vivax, whereas the rest are from infections with P. falciparum, the more acute and dangerous species of malaria. Brazil does have good information as to the distribution of malaria … [Read more...]
Malaria in Thailand
QUESTION: I am going to Thailand. Do I need to take Malaria medication there? ANSWER: Like many other countries, that depends on where in Thailand you are planning to go. The country on the whole has been successful in containing malaria, mostly through successful mosquito control initiatives and a great initiative of government-sponsored "malaria clinics" dotted around the country, … [Read more...]