Health concerns - Bay Islands

I usually follow the advice of the Centers for Disease Control; here's their travel site for Honduras. I have personally heard of a few cases of malaria on Roatán over the last few years and it's certainly worth avoiding. I also pack longsleeves/pants for early morning and evening hours when the bugs tend to be at their worst and use Ultrathon or Sawyers Controlled Release Deet products. Enjoy!

xlyr... I understand the appeal of asking this question on a TT forum - but you will probably get a variety of responses from scrupulous use of medication to scoffing at those who take any precaution other than avoiding getting bitten by mosquitoes.

Don't take any of the advice you get here - even mine. Choose an expert - be it the relatively conservative CDC or a local travel clinic doctor or whatever... decide what your risk/reward approach to travel medication is and then stick to it.

Malraria is a simple one for us... for the Bay Islands, chloroquine is still considered effective... its one pill a week, starting before you enter the area and continuing after you leave. We have no noticeable side effects... well, maybe I get the famous intensified dreams a little... so it just seems wise to be protected. We also try to be careful to use effective repellant... not only are the mosquitoes impossible to avoid completely - sand fly bites can itch like crazy and they stick around for many weeks...

If you travel much to various places, you'll have to make similar decisions on yellow fever and rabies vaccines... my daughter sure wishes she had followed the travel clinic doc's "up to you" suggestion she get the rabies series - would have been a lot less hassle than the series she had to go through after a bite from a stray dog in Ecuador last month... that's why I suggest you determine your travel health expert and style and follow it...

For sure make sure your tetanus shot is up to date.

Very helpful information. Thanks.

ive heard of 2 persons contracting malaria in the Bay islands in the last 12 yr.
i, and most others i talk to, take their chances. i talked to one guy who took an antimalarial that messed up his mind.
search here for "malaria manifesto" something written by a person claiming to be a doctor dave, it's about guatemala. very comprehensive.

I agree with Gorski.... talk to someone who really knows something about malaria and medicine.... but if you prefer typical traveler annecdotes, here's mine...
I took chloroquine before and during a recent trip to Bay Islands. My doctor did not really know much about Malaria in Honduras, but looked up CDC recommendations and gave me a prescription. I thought it better safe than sorry later. I don't typically have trouble with meds and side effects, but I think I had about half of the side effects related to chloroquine... freaky dreams, sweats, and a weird trippy feeling from about 11am to 1pm everyday.
I did not get a single mosquito bite during my stay and was happy to share a tour guide with an Israeli army doctor the following week in Copan. He told me not to worry about taking the rest of the chloroquine. I'm not sure if his recommendation was the most sound from a health perspective, but it was welcome news.
Two months later and still malaria free!.... at least I hope so......