Limpopo Malaria

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

hay there

if you were going only to limpopo, north and western parts i would say, you all good and dont take anything. if you going to kruger park and eastern parts of limpopo, yes take something

 

[Rare Breed]

We are heading to Limpopo in early June for 9 days and will spend a couple of days in Kruger as well. What are the chances of Malaria at that time of year? Do you take the meds or just risk it?
My outfitter said that some people have a worse reaction to the meds and he wouldn't take it.

I'm lost when it comes to this. I can't find any other vaccines needed for SA unless I am missing something.

I went there in July of 21 and had zero problem with insects of any kind. I chose not to take any.

 

[MontanaPat]

Well since I’m a pharmacist I will comment that of the three malaria meds mentioned, malarone is the easiest to take of the three as it is the shortest course of treatment. You start it 1-2 days before arriving in a malaria prone area, take it daily while there and continue for about a week after leaving the area. Doxycycline while more benign maybe is supposed to be taken for a month after exposure to the area. Just some thoughts. I leave for RSA on June 2 for a buffalo hunt in Limpopo bordering Zimbabwe and will be taking malarone

 

[BLJC30]

Thanks for all of the advice!
How do you treat your clothes for the ticks? Just take a spray with you or buy something there?

 

[Puddle]

Sawyer Permethrin spray is your friend. I treat my boots, outer socks & pants before departure.

 

[Hunt anything]

I had some wild dreams on malaria meds in Mozambique, I was hunting Dall sheep off of my roof top in Alabama. Got a nice to. One shot I would not lapse on in RSA is a tetanus shot, a million ways to get poked over there.

 

[spike.t]

Malarone...but ask for the generic version as a lot cheaper...this what we buy over the counter...also in SA they changed the law a few years ago so you can buy a course over the counter without a prescription there

 

[IvW]

Doxycycline for Malaria Chemoprophylaxis and Treatment: Report from the CDC Expert Meeting on Malaria Chemoprophylaxis - PMC

Doxycycline, a synthetically derived tetracycline, is a partially efficacious causal prophylactic (liver stage of Plasmodium) drug and a slow acting blood schizontocidal agent highly effective for the prevention of malaria. When used in conjunction ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This is all I use. I never tiook meds....until I contracted falciparum malaria and spent 7 days in ICU.....I nearly died and due to the high doses of meds my eye sight was affected.
Now I take doxycycline works and no side effects and it is very effective

 

[BSO Dave]

I also recommend malarone.. My entire family has taken it on safari with no side effects. You shouldn't have to go to a travel medicine clinic to get a script. Our primary care doctor wrote the prescription for us.

 

[Mopani]

Limpopo was my home province for several years. Nobody around ever took Malaria tabletts. I don‘t know anybody ever getting ill. Since 40 years I‘m touring Kruger Nationalpark - without Malaria prophylaxis. Even the doctors at Kruger‘s headquarters had told me anti-malaria medications isn‘t needed. However one has to use other protection like insectizides, long pants etc.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The latest info I have is a chart from my county board of health, showing probable areas and where it is recommended.The chart show update of June 27 2022. I will post the chart. Had a SEVERE reaction back in 2018 to the Shingles vaccine, 2 part, my wife was going to put me in hospital. Had so much shaking, sweating, fever and chills, came to the conclusion that this could be like malaria. Was down for 2 weeks.

Yeah, I got sick with the second Shingles vaccine. My wife didn't. Same with the second Moderna Covid 19 vaccine back in 2020. No hospitalization needed, but you have to wonder about the long term effects?

 

[Hunt anything]

Yeah, I got sick with the second Shingles vaccine. My wife didn't. Same with the second Moderna Covid 19 vaccine back in 2020. No hospitalization needed, but you have to wonder about the long term effects?

Same here, 2nd shingles shot and the 2nd Moderna vaccine knocked me on my ass!

 

[revturbo9967]

Doxycycline for Malaria Chemoprophylaxis and Treatment: Report from the CDC Expert Meeting on Malaria Chemoprophylaxis - PMC

Doxycycline, a synthetically derived tetracycline, is a partially efficacious causal prophylactic (liver stage of Plasmodium) drug and a slow acting blood schizontocidal agent highly effective for the prevention of malaria. When used in conjunction ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This is all I use. I never tiook meds....until I contracted falciparum malaria and spent 7 days in ICU.....I nearly died and due to the high doses of meds my eye sight was affected.
Now I take doxycycline works and no side effects and it is very effective

I will be taking doxycycline as well. I was prescribed 7 days worth last week for an eye lid infection, zero side affects. It’s good to know this, I was nervous to start a new prescription right before a big trip.

 

[archer36]

I was in Limpopo in 2014 and again in 2021. Both times I was told it was Malaria free.

 

[BWH]

I hunted the area in September….no mosquito problem

 

[BLJC30]

I will be taking doxycycline as well. I was prescribed 7 days worth last week for an eye lid infection, zero side affects. It’s good to know this, I was nervous to start a new prescription right before a big trip.

I just finished a prescription of that for bronchitis. Other than sweating like a dog at night, no noticeable side effects.

 

[Jim Golden]

All my military buddies took chloroquin or hydroxychlorquin for malaria prevention and it worked just fine. It also seems to work on Covid.... That's a whole 'nother discussion

 

[shootist~]

Travel Health nurse told me (2021) the wintertime risk in Limpopo would be on the low side, but advised permethrin for my clothing and Deet on my exposed skin, especially around dusk.

I asked about Tick Bite Fever, and after some research on the CDC site the Travel Health doc gave me a prescription for Doxy - to be taken only if bitten. It was cold as hell and I never used the deet. No insect bites of any kind, btw.

Still have the Deet and Doxycycline and will do the Permethrin treatment again for sure.

 

[Philip Glass]

In Malaria areas I take Lariam (Mefloquine). It has no Side effects for me and Is only one pill weekly. Some report side effects. Malarone gave me terrible side effects. I just mention this as an option because everyone is different.
As has been said with your clothing treated and good big repellent you will likely be ok.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Different meds invoke very different reactions… some are pretty tame… others can be pretty substantial… mefloquine for example will give me wild technicolor dreams filled with angry LBGTQ elephants dancing with neo fascist caterpillars… Where doxycycline has no real impact on me at all…

But certain meds only work in certain regions as well… different malaria strains call for different medications…

I thought most of Limpopo other than the far northeastern corner was largely malaria free? It’s been a few years since I looked at the CDC website though…

Things should be cool enough by mid June that I’d think the malaria risk anywhere in Limpopo would be super minimal…almost negligible… especially if you are using a proper mosquito repellent and also treating your clothing.

I only took mefloquine for the dreams.

Safe travels