QUESTIONI contracted common malaria, vivax?, when i was 20 yrs old from long visit to Papua NewGuinea, 1970. Returned to USA and was treated with chloro, primaquine drugs and really no problems since treatment.Now going to Thailand for week, Chiang Mai and region. If bitten by local malarial mosq. am i more likely to recur? And should I certainly choose prophylaxis? thnxANSWERIf … [Read more...]
Repeated Malaria Cases, New Guinea
QUESTIONHello, I live in Papua New Guinea. Myself, my wife and my 2 kids (both under 4 years old), get diagnosed with malaria approximately 3-4 times a year, usually vivax or falciparum. Our GP uses a prick of blood and examines under a microscope. Is it that easy/obvious to diagnose under this method and is it common to get this many attacks in a year? I also fear the affects of taking … [Read more...]
Distribution of Malaria
QUESTIONWhere does malaria mostly take place?ANSWERMalaria is mainly transmitted in tropical regions of the world; while some transmission does occur outside of the tropics, it tends to be seasonal in these areas (i.e. usually only during periods of high temperature/high rainfall). Within the tropics, malaria is found on all continents, though the highest number of cases is in Africa, … [Read more...]
Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Malaria in Papua New Guinean Infants Exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and P. Vivax
Intermittent preventive treatment in infants (IPTi) has been shown in randomized trials to reduce malaria-related morbidity in African infants living in areas of high Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) transmission. It remains unclear whether IPTi is an appropriate prevention strategy in non-African settings or those co-endemic for P. vivax (Pv). Methods and Findings In this study, 1,121 Papua New … [Read more...]
Duo-Cotecxin and Fansidar as Treatment
QUESTIONMy husband weighs and has malaria. He was told by the pharmacist to take 2 tablets stat, then 1 daily for five days followed by 3 Fansidar tablets. We live in Papua New Guinea. I see on the Duo-Cotecxin web site the dose is three tabs daily. Which is correct?ANSWERFansidar is a very different drug to Duo-Cotecxin—it is made of a combination of sulfadoxine and … [Read more...]
When to Seek Malaria Treatment
QUESTIONI have been in New Guinea recently and 2 weeks on am exhibiting all the signs and symptoms of malaria. What is best course of action, considering I do not know what sort of mosquito was hovering about?ANSWERYou should visit your physician or a clinic immediately. Depending on where you are, you may have to visit a specialist travel medicine clinic, to be sure that you will be … [Read more...]
Malaria Relapse
QUESTIONI had malaria in Papua New Guinea 40 years ago and had many relapses. I had one 11 years ago and was in hospital for 3 weeks. I have been to a massage therapist who used a hand machine giving out pulses rather strong a bit like tiny electric shots could this activate malaria?ANSWERThe reasons why malaria relapses are not well known. Malaria acquired in different places tends to … [Read more...]
In What Countries is Malaria Found?
QUESTIONWhat countries can malaria be found in?ANSWERMalaria is found on every continent of the world except Antartica—however, regular transmission every year mainly only occurs in Central and South America, Africa, parts of the Middle East, Asia and parts of Oceania/the Pacific Islands.The world's highest areas of malaria prevalence and transmission occur in sub-Saharan … [Read more...]
Chloroquine Resistant Malaria
QUESTIONWhat is chloroquine resistant malaria?ANSWERChloroquine-resistant malaria is exactly what it sounds like—particular types of malaria which are not cured by treatment with chloroquine.Chloroquine was first discovered in the 1930s in Germany and began to be widely used as an anti-malaria post-World War II, in the late 1940s. However, resistance to the drug also rapidly … [Read more...]
Malaria on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea
QUESTION:Is there malaria on Bougainville Island?ANSWER:Yes, Bougainville Island (an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea) is considered a malaria transmission zone, and precautions against malaria are advised when visiting. These include sleeping under an insecticide treated bednet, wearing long-sleeved clothing and insect repellent in the evenings and talking with your doctor about … [Read more...]