mosquitos

[going to goa]

do i need to take maleria pills when i am in candolin Goa india if so what type ive been before and did not

[dzug]

Goa is a high risk area according to

http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/

Consult your doctor or a travel clinic.

[KARL]

When my family and I were leaving for a two year stay in Africa, our doctor got very irate with me because I declined his offer of gammaglobulin injections (against hepatitis) for all including our son aged two. These are painful and are partially effective and for only three months or so and I knew we would not go through this so often. I only took anti-malarials for three months of a stay in a malarial area prior to this and have never had the disease in spite of by now having spent many years technically exposed to it. My late mother in law stopped taking them within a week of visiting us and enjoyed her stay from then on after having felt ill. Nobody in my family or those visiting us have had malaria. Your doctor will definitely tell you to take the tablets, including the mandatory many weeks before and after your journey. I don't want to tell you not to, but you can greatly reduce the risk by wearing a repellant on all exposed skin (forhead, behind ears, tops and bottoms of arms, around ankles - mosquito milk roll-on, tropical strength is probably the best) and spraying your room (onto surfaces high up, ceiling is best, and under bed, etc.) at dusk. Have as little skin exposed as you can if you must be out after dark and keep windows closed from before dusk until after dawn - at all times is better.

[KARL]

Oh, just a P.S. If you get cold/flue-like symptoms within the time of your trip or a few weeks after then see your doctor and ask to be tested for malaria. Ignoring this could be fatal.

[scubadiver]

Karl- I'm guessing the reason your doctor offered you gamma globulin against Hep was because you didn't allow him enough time to complete a course of vaccinations prior to leaving!.

While I agree with you that it is important in malarious areas to prevent being bitten in the first place, I think it is highly irresponsible of you to to even vaguely condone not taking appropriate anti malarials (which your personal/family examples seem to do).

Going to Goa- I would recommend speaking to your practice nurse/GP or local travel clinic in plenty of time prior to your trip- anti malarials are not the only prophylactic you may want- there are a couple of vaccines recommended for Goa, depending on where you are going, how long for and what you will be doing while you are there.

[sense4all]

Two of our family have had Malaria ( they live in Ghana ) and from the state they were in I would take the tablets! My Hubbie has spent a lot of time in India and he has been offered cheaper tablets that you take for longer (about forty quid) or ones that cost more but do the job in less time he takes the second option, says it's worth every penny! (about 100 quid I think) he gets them from Boots I think.

[KARL]

Let's not forget that (indeginous) people living in malarial areas do not generally take anti-malarials as a preventive measure but as a cure if and when. I do not take the view that they are irresponsible. Doctors in Britain get on their high horses about this and that is their prerogative. I simply provided my answer in order to give one view (mine).