Malaria Prevention in Low Transmission Season? Zimbabwe

[COSA]

Heading to northern Zimbabwe in June/July. Health/Travel maps showed the transmission season was Dec through Apr in the location. My body seems to respond more than others to prescription meds & I sunburn easily (doxy) - what is the infection risk of not taking malaria prevention this time of year?

 

[sgt_zim]

proly low, but the strain of malaria endemic there is the one you don't even want to get. well, you don't want any of the 4, but that one is by far and away the worst.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I hunted northwest Zimbabwe during last October and took malaria pills daily while there.
No regrets...

 

[sgt_zim]

Oh. And consider yourself lucky you can take doxycycline. I'm allergic, so I have to take a quinoline.

 

[375Fox]

It’s probably low, but there is always a chance and it’s not worth the risk. Camp will almost always be near water. I’ve read about doxycycline and sunburn but have never experienced it. I’ve taken it every trip in a malaria area. I put SPF 50 on once in the morning and have never had an issue.

 

[Doug3006]

At the risk of taking this post on an extended detour, I would suggest you pose your question to an expert (sorry if this is a trigger word post COVID…I’m also tired of them.) I live fairly near a teaching hospital with a very good infectious disease department. If I’m going to bet my health, I’d rather ask them for their opinion on the subject. Your own doc can suggest a resource near you. In all likelihood, they’ll tell you to take the prophylactic, but maybe your reaction to other drugs makes it worth the risk to go without. Anyway, good luck to you and I hope you enjoy your safari.

 

[375Fox]

At the risk of taking this post on an extended detour, I would suggest you pose your question to an expert (sorry if this is a trigger word post COVID…I’m also tired of them.) I live fairly near a teaching hospital with a very good infectious disease department. If I’m going to bet my health, I’d rather ask them for their opinion on the subject. Your own doc can suggest a resource near you. In all likelihood, they’ll tell you to take the prophylactic, but maybe your reaction to other drugs makes it worth the risk to go without. Anyway, good luck to you and I hope you enjoy your safari.

No doctor in the USA would advise anyone it’s ok to go to a malaria area without taking a prophylactic. The outfitter could advise him the risk, which is low, but still present throughout year. The months Dec-April are simply when most water is on the ground so most mosquitoes. The final animal I shot on my October trip was a hyena at a waterhole, we got eaten alive 20 minutes trying to get photos, I remember my PH saying he hopes he doesn’t get malaria in October from this. The risk is still there. The biggest risk would probably be not being treated or recognized correctly if you get it if symptoms begin once you’ve returned home.

 

[Doug3006]

No doctor in the USA would advise anyone it’s ok to go to a malaria area without taking a prophylactic. The outfitter could advise him the risk, which is low, but still present throughout year. The months Dec-April are simply when most water is on the ground so most mosquitoes. The final animal I shot on my October trip was a hyena at a waterhole, we got eaten alive 20 minutes trying to get photos, I remember my PH saying he hopes he doesn’t get malaria in October from this. The risk is still there. The biggest risk would probably be not being treated or recognized correctly if you get it if symptoms begin once you’ve returned home.

You’re almost certainly right about what the doc would advise. If the gentlemen’s reaction to malarial drugs is potentially severe enough, it’s more likely the doc will advise him not to go. In any case my main point remains….ask a doctor.

 

[sgt_zim]

You’re almost certainly right about what the doc would advise. If the gentlemen’s reaction to malarial drugs is potentially severe enough, it’s more likely the doc will advise him not to go. In any case my main point remains….ask a doctor.

The risk of mortality from Plasmodium falciparum is non-trivial. Unless he has an allergy to doxy like I have, the risk of bad side effects is less than the risk of a potentially fatal protozoan infection, that even if he survives, will probably be with him the rest of his life. Last I checked, somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa die from this strain of malaria every year. That's generally 5-10X the rate of AIDS deaths in the same area.

In any case, he will have to go to a doc to get a scrip, whether for doxy or mefloquine.

If the question were "I'm hunting the eastern cape in August, should I take an anti-malarial?", the answer would be "no."

 

[Doug3006]

The risk of mortality from Plasmodium falciparum is non-trivial. Unless he has an allergy to doxy like I have, the risk of bad side effects is less than the risk of a potentially fatal protozoan infection, that even if he survives, will probably be with him the rest of his life. Last I checked, somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa die from this strain of malaria every year. That's generally 5-10X the rate of AIDS deaths in the same area.

In any case, he will have to go to a doc to get a scrip, whether for doxy or mefloquine.

If the question were "I'm hunting the eastern cape in August, should I take an anti-malarial?", the answer would be "no."

100%. Malaria is a killer. It wasn’t that long ago that it was a problem in the U.S. It was eradicated in the 1950’s through a combination of water control, DDT and window screens of all things. My grandmother nearly died of it in the early 1930’s when she was a kid in SE Missouri.

My point is….don’t ask us…ask a doctor. Over and out.

 

[Dewald]

Malanil also known as Malarone is generally regarded as the safest and most convenient prophylaxis. It is a combination of Atovaquin & Proguanil.

The advantage of Doxy is covering for Tick bite fever as well

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

The malaria meds do not prevent malaria. They make the syptoms less severe and a quicker response to treatments if you get malaria. I worked in Angola for 5-1/2 years and took Larium (weekly pill) for 9 months and got off of it during the 3 month dry season. I was also in Nigeria for 6 years and neither my wife or I took anything for malaria, but we always had a 12 pill pack of Malarone (daily pill). The physician advised if you didn't want to take the malarone, carry it with you. If you get malaria, take 4 pills a day for 3 days. We never got malaria but knew folks that did. The particular mosquito that carries malaria is only active at dusk/early evening and early morning. Prime hunting time.

 

[375Fox]

The malaria meds do not prevent malaria. They make the syptoms less severe and a quicker response to treatments if you get malaria. I worked in Angola for 5-1/2 years and took Larium (weekly pill) for 9 months and got off of it during the 3 month dry season. I was also in Nigeria for 6 years and neither my wife or I took anything for malaria, but we always had a 12 pill pack of Malarone (daily pill). The physician advised if you didn't want to take the malarone, carry it with you. If you get malaria, take 4 pills a day for 3 days. We never got malaria but knew folks that did. The particular mosquito that carries malaria is only active at dusk/early evening and early morning. Prime hunting time.

I’m not sure that’s completely true. Malarone is treatment for malaria as well as prevention because it prevents the parasite that causes malaria from growing, so works the same in either case except as prevention the parasite should never have chance to grow. Doxycycline is only malaria prevention as far as I know.

 

[375Fox]

Malanil also known as Malarone is generally regarded as the safest and most convenient prophylaxis. It is a combination of Atovaquin & Proguanil.

The advantage of Doxy is covering for Tick bite fever as well

I always choose doxycycline because it’s available at every pharmacy in USA and it’s cheap. Malarone would need to be ordered in before a trip.

 

[WAB]

I use malarone. I did not take it on one trip into the Kalahari in the low risk season. A few days after coming home I came down with a nasty case of malaria, the type that goes cerebral and is near 100% fatal if not treated. Luckily I knew what I had, the doc knew what I had, and it is easily treated if caught early.

Bottom line: take the meds! This was probably my 20th trip to Africa and I just got too relaxed about it.

 

[RIVER MAN]

Heading to northern Zimbabwe in June/July. Health/Travel maps showed the transmission season was Dec through Apr in the location. My body seems to respond more than others to prescription meds & I sunburn easily (doxy) - what is the infection risk of not taking malaria prevention this time of year?

I used to sunburn easily!
After 50 years of burning, I discovered the use of LUTEIN!
Lutein is available in every Walmart, grocery, pharmacy!
I take 4ea. 1000 mg. Gel caps at least for the first week.
I have a great tan & lutein (a super vitamin A ) plus its the GREATEST health vitamin for VISION!
Helps prevent bad NIGHT VISION!
I'M 74 & Have wonderful vision!
Look it up!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Lutein (a super vitamin A ) plus its the GREATEST health vitamin for VISION!
Helps prevent bad NIGHT VISION!
Look it up!

From Wikipedia:​

"Macular degeneration​

In 2013, findings of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS2) showed that a dietary supplement formulation containing lutein reduced progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 25 percent."

Thanks! I am going to order some...

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Malarone, before, during & after. Plus 12 tablets for immediate treatment.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Malarone for the wife and I. Don’t take it at bedtime if you have a few drinks around the fire! Talk about some strange dreams!

 

[Jeffrey]

Most Africans I know don’t take a daily aintmalarial but do carry a “cure” with them. I have a 24 tablet treatment of Lumartem I got from Ballantyne Park Pharmacy in Harare. As soon as you get that pain that goes head to neck to back you take 4 tablets then 4 tablets 4 hours later. Then 4 tablets twice a day for two days.

Of course follow the advice of your physician.