traceee

HOW DO EXPATS TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST MALARIA, WHEN LIVING IN AFRICA?

Daxk

Dont get bitten by a Mosquito.
There are two schools of thought, one is to take a prophylaxsis , which has side effects and masks the onset, or two, to not take the pills and not ignore any symptoms, even though they might just herald the onset of Flu.
It depends on a lot of factors, your age (kids under three CANNOT be treated for malaria which is why its the single biggest killer of children in Sub-Saharan Africa.)
old age or any pre-existing condition, such as immunity affected or early onset liver damage/cyrrhosis will usually kill you.
It also depends on where you are going to be and when?
Middle of SA to the Cape has very little, (although there have been cases of malaria in the Jhbg/Pretoria areas...
Eastern Tvl to Kwazulu has lots in the hot, summer seasons.
It also depends on which one you get, common or garden is easily survivable if you are young enough and it gets treated, but will change your drinking habits and medicine use forever, to cerebral which will screw your life up.
both will kill you if untreated.

what can you do?
wear long sleeves, sleep under a mosquito net, dont sit out under the African skies at night and whatever else you do, wash,Mosquito's, especially friend female anophepheles, looooove the taste of sweat, especially around the ankles.
you will still get bitten.
and thats the luck of the draw.

My mother used to chop fresh tomatoes in a plate on all our windowsills and next to our beds, Tomato has naturally occurring Pyrethreum, the most common form of insecticide, and Mossies dont like it.
My next brother down still got into ICU with cerebral, I never had it in 54 years of exposure.

PS: please lose the caps, its irritating.
,

Bijilo123

Absolutely - but only during the hot / wet season.

You need to combine this with other precautions such as nets, spraying and repellent. Consequences of being bitten by a mozzie are more than just ('just'!!) Malaria - they include infected open wounds and scepticemia.

You need to get the right pill - it varies across Africa.

Bijilo123

Great advice here but I disagree with your ageism. The doctor / bush nurse treated mine who was 1 yr old - and who has now got a partial immunity.

Me I must not get malaria - I am too old and it will kill me! P Falcaparium is by far the main form in W Africa - which results in Cerebral Malaria. - Good post Sir!!

Daxk

Thank you,
your child? massive hydration with a anti-fever, and caught at the onset? I would also bet that there are some genetics involved.
you were lucky.
with children under three,they cannot give the same muti as adults,in fact western treatment tends to leave long term damage.
especially with kids who have not grown up in Africa.

the other interesting thing we found with the Mocambicans we tested,they carried an anti-body from birth, they would get malaria,and with some bark tea, have a fever for a few days and then be out playing.
European Born Adults would be at deaths door.

Bijilo123

No genetics - well none that I know of.

I was really glad that he was treated by an African doctor and an old woman (African ) nurse. I don't think he would have survived treatment in the UK.

Get your transplant in UK, malaria and childbith in Africa !!