Best bug repellent for South Africa

[spike.t]

Nope, but this is much stronger than what most of us want to be exposed to. Treating your clothes and just a touch of insect repellent on your exposed skin will usually do the trick.

Well I know people here that have hosed themselves with it after walking through red ants by mistake in the dark...or in the day....including myself....i promise you you wouldn't think twice

 

[Daisy]

Send clothes you will take to these guys. They treat and send back. Locks the permethrin in for something like 60 washes. I treated socks but not underwear. Ha.

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[wesheltonj]

(1) Don’t believe there’s no malaria here. My uncle during the Korean War picked up malaria, but not in Korea in Washington DC. not exactly the tropics.

(2) The only time I had a mosquito problem in Africa, was in Livingstone Zambia, the hotel room was loaded with them.

 

[Mopani]

MORTEIN is a fantastic stuff for inside, no mosquitos anymore. I take it along when visiting game reserves or go hunting. You’ll find it at all supermarkets and outdoor shops.

There is a stick available similar to a deo called TABARD. Just put it on your skin, socks etc. It works very well. I never need anything else than the two.

 

[fourfive8]

Two different things to consider. Taking a malaria preventative and using repellants. Many accommodations also use nets over beds. Unlike some pests, mosquitos really like going on stealth offensive in the cool of the night drilling for “oil” in unsuspecting, sleeping victims. Check before going as some areas- really very little concern about such as malaria. Ask about dengue also.

Permethrin is the common repellent for ticks. Apply to clothing as directed— cuffs, socks, sleeves, collars etc. Like malaria, tick fever is no joy. The common culprits there are not big varieties like most in North America. They are tiny therefore the common names like pepper tick.

For general use, IMO, any spray repellent with a minimum 25-40% DEET works - no matter the brand- simply check the ingredients on the label. Most safari camps will have multiple cans of repellent left by previous visitors.

Tsetse flies are another matter. The most obnoxious and persistent bug there. I don’t know their true danger to humans, but be prepared mentally

Can’t overstate the danger of many of the repellents to fine gunstock finishes.

 

[Daisy]

You have to be careful taking malaria prophylaxis. Some recommend not taking now.

There are lots of doxycycline resistant strains.

The medicines also have side effects. Often people come home and have symptoms and it’s hard to know if malaria, resistant malaria, or med side effects.

Many consider doing great bug prophylaxis and not taking preventative. Then if have symptoms when home you know what you are treating.

There are some new meds that work better with less side effects making things easier.

 

[rgsiii]

You have to be careful taking malaria prophylaxis. Some recommend not taking now.

There are lots of doxycycline resistant strains.

The medicines also have side effects. Often people come home and have symptoms and it’s hard to know if malaria, resistant malaria, or med side effects.

Many consider doing great bug prophylaxis and not taking preventative. Then if have symptoms when home you know what you are treating.

There are some new meds that work better with less side effects making things easier.

There are a lot of Chloroquine resistant strains of Plasmodium and have been for years. Can you give a reference to widespread Doxycycline resistance? The current CDC Yellow Book has no mention of Doxycycline resistance, from what I can see.

 

[Daisy]

There are a lot of Chloroquine resistant strains of Plasmodium and have been for years. Can you give a reference to widespread Doxycycline resistance? The current CDC Yellow Book has no mention of Doxycycline resistance, from what I can see.

Malaria Prophylaxis Failure with Doxycycline, Central African Republic, 2014 - PMC

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[375Fox]

Malaria Prophylaxis Failure with Doxycycline, Central African Republic, 2014 - PMC

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Are there any other regions? I don’t know of any resistance in Southern Africa to doxycycline. You listed CAR, doxycycline is supposedly not effective in Cameroon either. Cameroon was only place I’ve ever seen PHs taking a daily prophylactic for malaria. They said the strain there wasn’t something to mess with but weren’t concerned in Zimbabwe or Tanzania.

 

[rgsiii]

Malaria Prophylaxis Failure with Doxycycline, Central African Republic, 2014 - PMC

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

There are 250,000,000 cases of malaria a year and one possible doxycycline resistant case in 2014 is widespread?

 

[Daisy]

There are 250,000,000 cases of malaria a year and one possible doxycycline resistant case is widespread?

My man. This isn’t a fight. I’m a physician. Just giving some info.

Doxy taken as a prophylactic has good and bad. Problem is, like all meds longterm, is resistance.

You have to take doxy for five weeks for prophylaxis. Most don’t do that. They get home and stop. They have side effects and stop. It’s a great treatment drug for malaria. Long term use of prophylaxis will lead to more and more resistance.

If I was going to a high risk area I would probably take it. Low risk I wouldn’t.

This info was from an international medicine friend at major institution. Set up visit at travel med clinic at closest teaching hospital and discuss before you go.

 

[rgsiii]

My man. This isn’t a fight. I’m a physician. Just giving some info.

Doxy taken as a prophylactic has good and bad. Problem is, like all meds longterm, is resistance.

You have to take doxy for five weeks for prophylaxis. Most don’t do that. They get home and stop. They have side effects and stop. It’s a great treatment drug for malaria. Long term use of prophylaxis will lead to more and more resistance.

I am a physician too. My medical school was one of two in the US that mandated taking tropical medicine and in college I had a minor in microbiology.

To me the biggest problem with doxycycline is the duration that it has to be taken. Photosensitivity might be a problem, but when I was in primary care in the South I never saw it in my patients.

 

[Daisy]

To me the biggest problem with doxycycline is the duration that it has to be taken. Photosensitivity might be a problem, but when I was in primary care in the South I never saw it in my patients.

Awesome. I was smartass in reply and erased it.

I did an international med rotation too. I’ve also been blessed to practice in missions work in many malaria endemic areas.

My issue is longterm prophylaxis causing resistance. Doxy is great drug right now. It’s great you can start a day or two before travel. The 4 weeks after is what worries me. Long term it will be weakened in malaria fight because of poor compliance. The stomach issues is what I see long term and why people stop.

Antimalarial drug resistance in Africa: the calm before the storm? - PubMed

Antimalarial drug resistance, in particular resistance to Plasmodium falciparum, challenges the treatment and control of malaria. In this Review, we summarise evolving patterns of antimalarial drug resistance in Africa. Resistance to aminoquinolines and antifolates is long-standing, yet with...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

For the masses I agree. Give it. When I talk to guys and ask what you would do personally, it’s often a different story.

Cool stuff and thanks for the convo.

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

I've had good luck with permethrin on my clothes (treat x 2 the week before I leave), Avon SSS as suntan lotion, and Picardin spray on my exposed skin when out around nightfall. No bites I can recall in either RSA or Zim.

I had a bad experience (VERY vivid dreams) with Malarone my first trip, I believe this was exacerbated by lack of sleep and dehydration. I had no ill effect with it on my second and third trips.