SANParks.org Forums

Will try it Okie

But after 3 mozzies I might need a transfusion.

We're still in a high-risk period, and all the usual non-drug precautions and use of appropriate antimalarial medicines are recommended by the authorities.

We dont take malaria meds (the side-effects are too bad) but we will take artemisia (a natural anti-malaria drug). More importantly I will turn my family and myself into a walking DEET chemical warzone so that no mozzie will dare come near us.

I'm in the process of drafting something that the mites may find interesting. Keep the eyeballs shaved and watch this space ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17628172

Scientists have found new evidence that resistance to the front-line treatments for malaria is increasing.

They have confirmed that resistant strains of the malaria parasite on the border between Thailand and Burma, 500 miles (800km) away from previous sites.

Researchers say that the rise of resistance means the effort to eliminate malaria is "seriously compromised".

Yes, Asia has had increasing malaria problems in recent years. The problem is that the global community is smaller than most realise, and so resistance could conceivably spread. The resistance to chloroquine was a big blow to malaria treatments in the 70s and 80s, and if the integrity of artemisinin is compromised, we could indeed be in big trouble.

It is a similar situation with antibiotics - indiscriminate prescribing by some medical practitioners, as well poor patient compliance, are building up resistance against certain effective antibiotic treatments. I remember reading an article some years ago that, if there was a worldwide pandemic of certain mutated viruses or bacteria, the human race in its entirety could be at threat! The Lancet is a respected medical journal, so serious cognisance needs to be taken of these malarial concerns!

Hi there all. I am sure this has been asked a hundred times before, but I am not going to read 81 pages of this topic to find the answer ..............

I have been to Kruger often and have always taken precautions against being bitten and sometimes even malaria tablets (especially in summer). Now, with a trip coming up in the dead of winter (late June) I have a family row on my hands. I'll be taking my elderly parents and my kids to Kruger. Our GP has advised that we should not worry about malaria tablets for Kruger in the dead of winter, provided we take the necessary precautions against being bitten. Half the family is in agreement and the other half are probably blowing down my car types right now as an aftermath to the argument. Some solid advise would be greatly appreciated.................

I sympathise, I always have to fight my SO over malaria precautions as well.

I always say that you need to get your medical practitioner's opinion, looks like doing it has inflamed opinion. Get your parents to see their GP, everyone's medical history is different, malaria is not a one solution suits all, for example, my SO and I have to have different kinds.

I would say though that in the UK it would be difficult to get malaria tablets without a prescription from the GP. If mine said I didn't need them it would be difficult to get them.

Waterbuck, this is my own personal opinion. I do not think you stand much of a chance contracting malaria in the winter. We go to KNP so often, we never take meds. BUT!

You can try as hard as you like not to get bitten, there is always a small chance you will be bitten. It happens to me. Everytime.

If you are not visiting the park often, rather be safe than sorry. Get Malarone = least side effects imo and experience. You need a prescription and it is expensive.

There is nothing like returning from KNP and worrying if you might have contracted malaria. Especially with kiddies. Save some sleepless nights

Personally, aside from people who may have serious side effects,jmo it is best for the rest of us to take the meds, unless people visit so often they have built up immunity.

We can always do a test run before the trip to see if the meds disagree, but really, malaria is no joke and it is so easy to be bitten. Even before or after a shower or swimming.

We are so fortunate that we have access to these prophylactics and there are millions who live in malaria areas who contract it every year and many die.

From the WHO website

Waterbuck, you don't say how old your children are (it is never recommended that very young children visit any malarial areas, even low risk; however, many people do take infants and believe that antimalarial measures will be sufficient).

Now, if your tyres are flat, I don't think you'll have to worry about malaria in Kruger. But, seriously, the dead of winter (I suppose you mean July/August?; and "dead" isn't a good word to use when talking about malaria ) means that Kruger is a low-risk area. The official recommendations, therefore, are that non-drug measures (antimalarial sprays, netting, coils, etc.) are sufficient, as long as they are applied, and reapplied as needed, from about an hour before dusk until an hour after sunrise.

I personally only use non-drug measures in low-risk season as the side-effects and/or expense of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis outweighs the risk of me contracting malaria. Of course, if you want to be super-safe, then by all means take chemoprophylaxis, but ensure that non-drug measures are also given suitable attention. Some people take meds all the time, while some people are quite okay with the official recommendations. The choice lies with each person.

Some people believe that adding sufficient quantities of ingested garlic to their non-drug measure arsenal helps to keep mossies away from their bite-sites on the skin. At the very least, it should keep your warring family members away from you so that you can enjoy the trip in peace!

According to official sources, people do not build up immunity in a seasonal-risk malarial area; only in all-year-round high-risk malarial areas, if they live there permanently.

Whatever you decide, make sure that you have peace of mind so that you can enjoy your trip to the full, without worrying unnecessarily about contracting malaria. Then, still be vigilant after returning from the malarial area - any flu-like symptoms or unexplained illness, especially within two or three months (and some say even up till six months) after exiting the malarial area should be checked to see that it isn't malaria - falciparum malaria can be fatal, the strain that predominates in South Africa.

I would assume that this would open this discussion to more comments, however, each person would have their own way at looking how important/serious Malaria is.



Last time i was there (1998), I started taking my meds 3 days before, once daily and 3 days after arrival back home.

I am sure a lot have said that Malaria if "non-permanent" residents is very high, but local nationals (Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria and places as such), still get Malaria and can become complicated cerebral malaria.

I know the other places are just a name, but they have the same problem, Mozzies and Malaria.

Within a week of arriving at his holiday spot, someone died in Mozambique (think it was Beira) when he started feeling flu like symptoms, went to the local facility, was given meds for flu. He started the usual further symptoms of malaria and by the time the medivac arrived the day after he got worse, he died just before getting on the aircraft (seriously, no lies) - The ironic part was, he didn't do the pre-treatment as he had been to mozambique every year and never contracted Malaria. (cannot remember if was in 2010 or 2011)


I wouldn't play around with Malaria at all. Regardless if winter, or summer. Prophylaxis is there for a reason, but just like any other precautionary measure, it is only 99% preventative (just like contraceptives).

I am not sure about kiddies, so seek medical advice like someone said, Netcare Travel Clinic etc would be a good place to starts as they deal with travellers regularly. I will see one as I am going next year with my neice and nephew, and they will be taking their Prophylaxis, else no trip.

There was recently a few cases reported in Pretoria with having malaria (most were non-related to each other). So, shows you, it can get you anywhere.

All is in my opinion, seen the stats, especially for South Africans travelling abroad where malaria is high (i.e Expats).

Thank you for your input, Neurogenic (and interesting name ).



Yes, locals can certainly develop malaria, although in all-year-round high-risk malarial areas many do develop a partial immunity. The problem often is that these people are used to malaria showing initially as milder flu-like symptoms and therefore may miss when they genuinely have malaria.



Definitely malaria is not something to take lightly. If chemoprophylaxis and non-drug measures are used diligently and intelligently, the risk of contracting malaria drops dramatically. (Contraceptives, if used diligently and correctly, will have very close to 100% protection - if only 99%, then every woman on it would fall pregnant on average every hundredth time! )



Mostly when malaria cases are reported in non-malaria areas, it's because people have contracted the disease while in a malarial area. Rarely - although it has happened - a person who has not been to a malarial area may contract malaria if being bitten by a malaria-carrying mosquito that was inadvertantly transported back from a malarial area by someone. Such a person who contracts malaria in such a way is extremely unlucky.

UCT may have found cure for Malaria.

Thanks for posting the link, WTM. Let's hope that the clinical trials in humans match up to the animal results. For, if it does, and the successful medicine is launched at an affordable price for the masses, this would indeed be a major breakthrough in malaria treatment.