Do I need Malaria cover ?

[bigelaine]

Hi folks I am off on a nile cruise soon, and was wondering if I will need to have malaria cover and if so what are the best tablets to take?

[NORMANTHEDOG]

yes i would, just to be on the safe side,we did on our trip to egypt and isreal,not sure which are best,consult your doctor

[KARL]

This is not as straight forward as one might at first think, especially if advised by UK doctors. Have a look at previous Q&As, for example http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Travel/Question 262056.html . I would say it is as important, maybe more so, to take along very effective medicines against serious stomach infections which in fact you are significantly more likely to get than malaria, especially if you take precautions against being bitten (Mosquito Milk, tropical version from Boots, etc. - Baygon original or other powerful spray insecticide).

[jiggy-gb]

Most definitely, and you need to take them for a few weeks before you travel, whilst on holiday, and for a few weeks on your return. There are trips in the evening, like going to the Temple of Philae, where you will be bitten mercilessly regardless of how much repellent you lather yourself with. Better safe than sorry!
One thing i will say is that the pills gave me rotten heartburn each afternoon so be prepared with some strong antacids!
To follow on from KARL's post, be very careful of what you eat! Although ice cubes maybe from bottle water, fruit and uncooked veg will most certainly not have been, even in top hotels, avoid it like the plague! And avoid ice when off your cruise or out of your hotel too. Use bottle water to brush your teeth and keep your mouth closed whilst in the shower. I did the above and managed to stay gippy tummy free, unlike my friends.
You'll have a fantastic time so long as you use a bit of common sense! I wish I was going back :o)

[jiggy-gb]

LOL, that doesn't make sense when i read it back, I was meaning that fruit and salad stuff etc won't have been washed in bottle water, doh!

[mrsann]

we are just back from a Nile cruise/extra week in Hurghada and did not have any injections/malaria tablets after taking advice from the school of tropical medecine.Think they are probably experts on the subject and they told us no malaria cases reported in Egypt in living memory.We suffered no ill effects at all.definately be careful about the water and drink plenty of it but buy it from local traders(make sure the bottles are sealed!) not from onboard the boats or in hotels wherever possible as the price is an absolute ripoff.Worst problem we found and we travel a lot were the traders at all the sites we visited who had never heard the word NO and kept draping their goods all over you.Two rather nervous ladies in our bus had to be rescued after going inside one of these "shops" and were being held to ransom being told they could not leave without buying something so take care.

[dzug]

Small risk (malignant malaria) in El Faiyum area (50 miles south of Cairo on west bank of the Nile) from June till October. This is not a common tourist area.

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

[dtmn5]

just make an appointment with your GP and he will give u a prescription for the ones u need. there are alot around. but your doc will see u right.