We probably need a thread on this topic.

Here is a product that others who have safari'd have recommended.

Clothing Protection Kit

I am thinking of treating our daytime safari clothes. Has anyone had any experience with permethrin?

Exofficio also makes a line of bug-repellant clothes. Might want to take a look here .

Masaki

When I was in Kenya I used deet with abandon. I did not see ONE mosquito and got not a single bite. South Africa could be an entirely different story of course. We went to Kenya in late March early April.

Some of us in the planning stages talked about buying the cheapest possible clothes and just abandoning them as we went. One of those "treatment kit" things could work well for that.

Well I have my "stuff" from Kenya. I look like a hippo in these duds BUT they are the right color and have those "zip" off legs which actually worked really well. I had two sets and I would wear one and they would wash it and then I would wear the other. Hardly took anything to the camp with me on that trip.

I never realised how practical all these little doodads really can be. The zip off pants, the tabs for roll up sleeves. It would start off cool and then really heat up so we needed to be "flexible". However in this camp there will be "air conditioning" what a difference that will make in the experience.

Having incurred malaria in the old Belgian Congo and thoroughly ruining my kidneys as a result - still manufacture lots of kidney stones - I'm here to tell all you good people WATCH OUT !!
In Kinshasa, the mosquitos were the size of small airplanes - saw 4 of them taking away a small baby! Sleep in full clothing, wear lots of deet and never open your windows for the cool breezes!
If you don't, you will not enjoy the always returning 21 day sweats and then freezes - believe me! Those damn microbes live in your system forever, which is the reason I can't contribute blood ever again. There is nothing nice about malaria - forget the fact that cerebral malaria will kill you in three days and that there is nothing medically they can do about it.

So, if you don't mind, you can keep Africa and anywhere else you can get malaria. I know it's almost impossible to believe, but the Saint and I will not be joining you. Once was way more than enough!!
Marty

I am assuming that since we will be taking anti-malaria pills, we will not suffer through Marty's experience!

Wow Marty.. that is scarey. But, we can get this latest killer West Nile Virus and never leave home.. so you just got to take all the precautions , although
Malaria can happen even with the drugs ..
I sent the "gals this website" and this is a good one for everyone to check outwho is going..
http://www.malaria.org.za/Malaria_Risk/index.html

and ofcourse this site is helpful..
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/safrica.htm

With all due respect to the Silver White Knight my buddy Marty the concern about bugs, malaria etc is what kept me away from Africa for so long. Also the thoughts of all the shots that were "recommended" using DEET etc. I really love seeing animals in the wild but I questioned whether it was worth all that.

Well then I went to Africa to Kenya and WOW is all I can say. YES it was worth it. Until you experience a safari it is hard to comprehend how fantastic it is. I would not want to spend weeks and weeks in a tented camp but the way we are doing this trip with "air conditioning" and all the luxury it seems like a dream come true. The animals in the wild and all the creature comforts this little princess needs to be content.

Ngaire,

As usual you bring balance, experience, and wisdom to the forum that simply excites us all.

Wes

On ROAR, anybody physically close to us, let me assure you, you're safe from mosquitos. I am the original "mosquito magnet! Having said this, I will not be taking (many) chances. Having lived in Thailand for two years (1971-73, Peace Corps, when malaria was really rampant), I developed a very healthy respect for malaria. At the time, Aralen (sp?), was the (ineffectual) malarial suppressant. Masaki, if not before his time, might comment, but the drugs today are much better.

For me, the trip is SO far away that I have trouble getting into "prepare mode". I sort of see myself as Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) in "Joe Versus the Volcano" buying all the safari gear, etc. including the steamer trunks right before we depart. My personal "brain cloud" prevents me from focusing too much on a trip that seems so far away.

I am so looking forward to meeting ALL the people I haven't met yet that, over two forums, I've developed a sense of kinship and profound personal respect. Without intending to slight anyone else, and to name just a few, I especially look forward toward meeting JHP and Marc (and by extension, Arlene).

Of course, we really look foward to seeing Tony and Joanna, Tom and Marcie, Suzanne (maybe Sheri?), Lawrence, Ngaire and Ken et al from DDD again. Will the veld ever be the same again?

Best regards to all fellow ROARers,

Bill

Bill - Aralen was the brand name for chloroquine, one of the original anti-malarial medications. As mentioned in the other thread, not used much any more for exactly that reason you mention. :)

Masaki

From Tiffany at Ker and Downey.

Newest drug Malarone. She took it on her last trip to Africa and had no problems at all. THat is what she is recommending.

On previous trips to Africa, bugs of all kinds were never a problem - many more mosquitos in NJ than in Africa! Anti-malarials are essential. Do not, repeat, do not take Lariam! Many MDs who don't know any better prescribe this because it is a once-a-week pill. Side effects are awful. Get Malarone - once-a-day, but no side effects.

hrprof - I beg to differ. I've had patients that have taken Lariam (mefloquine) without problems. Ngaire herself has mentioned that she and Ken have taken Lariam without any side effects. It's highly individual and while I can understand deciding to take a medication because of fewer personal side effects or shorter course of treatment, I don't agree with our culture's propensity to believe that anything new must be better. In fact, this is the same battle that MDs fight on a daily basis with patients requesting the biggest/newest antibiotic on the block for their colds. With the shortened approval process by the FDA, more drugs are slipping through the approval process with long term effects that we're just realizing (remember the news about 1-2 years ago about the diabetic medication Rezulin which flew through FDA approval and was found to cause an unacceptable rate of hepatic toxicity?) Who knows what kind of effects that Malarone will have? And the bigger question is, if we start rouinely using Malarone as an anti-malarial, what are we going to do when Malarone-resistant malaria starts to emerge? (which it will for sure at some point in the future, mark my words)

Look at the pros and cons of all medications and decide for yourself as to which to take. Malarone may indeed be a better drug than Lariam but the data is far from being clear at this time as to which we should be using routinely as a PREVENTATIVE medication for malaria.

Masaki

PS: I'm getting off my soapbox now ... :)

You're the Doctor, I'm not. I'm an informed patient who can make intelligent judgments based on my own experience and best information. Both indicate to me that Larium is a bad choice. We took it over 3 cycles (even after Malarone was introduced) and found the effects cumulative. Our exoerience was common to many others who spend a lot of time in hazardous tropical areas. The experience of the military with Larium use has borne this out. Newer is not better, but in this case, older is awful! I also uderstand that as differentiated from Larium, Malarone is used therapeutically (sp?) as well as a preventative - true?

By the way, I completely sympathize with the MDs frustration with the effects of drug marketing - the reports on the latest miracles. Have you ever counted the number of drug commercials on the Evening news on network TV. If it wern't so troublesome, it would be hysterical!

OK, I've gotta pack and get out of here - have to escape Frances and get to NYC to board Navigator next week. Really appreciate your reports on the NYC - Montreal itinerary.

Ted

PS - Will the bugs eventually beat Malarone? Sure! What else is new? Evolution continues!

Since our trip is kinda sorta in the distant future, I'm going to wait for a while before I talk to my doctor. Mark does have some kidney impairment due to the diabetes, so he'll talk to his kidney doctor.

Ted - first off, have a great trip - hope your time on the Navigator is at least as good as ours!

There are 4 types of malaria - the 2 major ones are Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Malarone is usually used to treat resistant P. falciparum and Lariam is usually used to treat resistant P. vivax.

Malarone Internet pricing is around $38.18 for 7 pills. Lariam Internet pricing is around $89.00 for 10 pills. So I may be wrong in this case about newer medications being more expensive than older medications. :)

Pam - this is definitely a situation where I advise people to discuss with their doctor about what to take while on ROAR.

Masaki

Dr. Masaki

Thanks - we're looking forward to it - our first time on Navigator.

Yikes! All this time I thught a mosquito was a mosquito!

I'm not sure that you are wrong on the pricing question. Major difference is that Lariam is taken once per week (the clear winner for convenience) while Malarone is daily. On our stay last month in Africa we got 60 pills for both of us for 3 weeks of exposure. Joan (a nurse) is our pill buyer, so not sure what the tab was, but it sounds like a bunch!

Ted

Ted - hope you get a chance to tell us all about it when you get back!

Masaki