Malaria prevention

More than Malaria, it is dengue that you need to be concerned about. Delhi had quite a few incidents of dengue a month or so ago.

Having said that, the monsoon season is over in the Northern Parts of India and the cold weather will start to knock the mossies off. In the South however, you will still have mosquitoes - dengue is not as rife there but chikungunya was a year or so ago.

In my view more than malaria pills, you should rather wear long sleeved clothing esp in the evenings and when on the backwaters (if you are going there , remember that the backwaters are die hard mosquito territory) and use mossie repellents both on your body (e.g Odomos) and in your room (e.g. Good night)

Not sure what the basis of the classification is. From what I know, Goa is a low risk area reg Malaria. Delhi is high risk - and shown as low risk on the map.

I would suggest that you don't pump your body with medication if you can take other precautions.

Have a look at this map by the British National Health Service:

http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-(east)/india/india-malaria-map.aspx

(You have to copy the whole address, as there seems to be a problem with the link.)

Tommi

Edited by: Tommi1

My Indian friends have stressed using insect repellent and not to bother with the Malarone. I am now wondering -- according to the map - if it would be worth it to just treat Goa as the "malaria risk" and take the pills which are bloody expensive, on the proper regime over that part of the trip.

ARe you in India Gemcap? Do we in North America just worry too much about these things? I do have a stash of antibiotics and one friend said that if I think I have malaria (how would I know????) I should just fill myself full of them and get to a hospital asap.

:-) am an Indian and yes, I do think most travellers from the West tend to worry a bit too much about illnesses which are not endemic to that part of the world. Partly justified, but its when someone goes overboard that things which seem normal to an Indian start assuming gargantuan proportions. There was a post on this forum about a bat some time ago which is a good example of this. I still remember meeting a a tourist who was panicking because she had seen a mosquito near her (not sure if she had been bitten) and was convinced she would come down with Malaria.

When travelling, there are things to take basic precautions about as a tourist as the residents of the place also do. Avoid raw food, water etc, use insect repellents, but don't over medicate yourself as a precaution against something which may or may not happen. In Kerala for example, personally we never use chemical mosquito repellents and always sleep under mosquito nets.

How would you know if you have malaria ? Temperature fluctuations ie fever which comes and goes as opposed to a steady high temperature and chills /

Edited by: gemcap

siemprepatty : I would definitely advise that you take basic antibiotics along with you esp tablets when travelling.

"have a stash of antibiotics and one friend said that if I think I have malaria (how would I know????) I should just fill myself full of them and get to a hospital asap"

I would recommend the latter unless you carry a microscope for blood tests with you. Indian doctors are good and can distinguish which variety if at all malarial it is. Can't help you with the symptoms. I was in no shape to tell much less treat myself.

"which is a good example of this" Chuckle..

Dengue fever...
http://www.medicinenet.com/dengue_fever/article.htm

To worry about yellow fever precautions, you need to go to Africa.

Cholera is certainly existent in India but in the less cleaner parts of the country where water is contaminated (and treated on a war footing when it does break out) - and of course in Haiti now.

Its sad that an illness which has not been there for close to a century has been most likely reintroduced by people who went to help the residents - and ended up being more trouble than help.

Reminds one of many islanders a few centuries ago who were killed in thousands because of illness introduced by Sailors.