|
How To Avoid Malaria
Malaria, spread by the Anopheles mosquito, kills millions of people in tropical and sub-tropical Africa every year. As a visitor to these areas you are also at risk of getting this disease. With the right precautions you can minimize your chances of getting malaria. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 6 Weeks Here's How:- Find out if you are travelling to an area where malaria is endemic. See the Center for Disease Control web site for up to date information.
- If the answer to the above is yes, then visit your doctor 6 weeks before your departure and get a prescription for malaria pills (prophylactics). Ask your doctor to provide you with the correct dosage of medicine for both prevention and treatment of malaria.
- Start taking your malaria pills before you depart as instructed by your doctor - usually 4 weeks. Make sure you take them exactly on schedule without missing doses.
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved clothing especially around dawn and dusk when the anopheles mosquitos are most active.
- Use an insect repellent that contains DEET. You can buy this locally or at any outdoor/camping store before you go.
- Use a mosquito net at night, the most effective are those treated with an insect repellent. Bring one with you, they are very light and will easily fit in your luggage.
- Spray your room before you go to sleep with insect repellent. A brand called Doom is widely available and very effective in Southern Africa. Mosquito coils are also highly effective and burn for up to eight hours. Place the coil under your bed and try not to step on it if you get up in the middle of the night - it hurts!
- Stay in rooms with screens on the windows, fans and/or air conditioning.
- Switch of all lights while you are sleeping since mosquitoes are attracted to light.
- Avoid wearing strong after-shave or perfume, the smell will attract mosquitoes.
Tips:- It is very important to treat malaria as soon as symptoms arise. Symptoms include chills, fevers, headache, nausea and vomiting. Even if you have the treatment for malaria with you see a doctor as soon as possible so a correct diagnosis can be made.
- Antimalarial drugs do not prevent you from being infected with malaria, but they kill the parasites at an early stage of development. This means your bout of malaria will be a lot less severe than if you had never taken pills to begin with.
- Contrary to many peoples' beliefs, once you get malaria you will not necessarily have recurring episodes of the disease. Malaria is curable as long as you seek treatment as the symptoms occur.
- Trust the local doctors. They are familiar with the strains of malaria in the area and how to treat the disease effectively.
What You Need:- Anti-malarial drugs
- Insect repellent with DEET
- Mosquito net
- Long-sleeved clothing and trousers
|
|
| 