The Accurate Reloading Forums
TZ and Malaria
23 October 2007, 02:56
JVinAKTZ and Malaria
I am plainning on a 7 day buff trip to Masaiiland followed by the usual tourist trip through Ngorongoro, Serengetti, etc. I will be there in the middle of August 2008.
I would like my wife to come on at least the touring portion of trip. The thing is, we are looking at trying to hatch JVinAK Jr. following the trip. My wife is concerned about the possibilty of getting Malaria/some other kind of tropical disease. The kind you don't find out about until a year after you have been there and have moved on with your life/pregnancy plans.
When we were in Namibia, we took all the usual precautions, but we saw all of one mosquito so I feel pretty good about that.
Anyway, we will obviously consult with our doctor, but I would be interested to hear if anyone has any input on precautions/don't go at all/there aren't any mosquitos there at that time of year, etc.
Thanks in advance.
23 October 2007, 03:01
retreeverI have been on three safari's and have yet to see the African variety...
Hunting in mid to late August should not have a problem...Good use of skeeter chasers, and staying out of damp areas at night...Keeping areas closed and sprayed to repel the buggers will work...
Mike
Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting
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23 October 2007, 03:28
L. David KeithIt's the mosquito's you don't see that I would be concerned with. Usually at night while your sleeping. I would definately consult your Dr. Precautions are 1,000 times better than the disease. LDK
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23 October 2007, 03:29
Jorge400I would strongly suggest you shot Wendell Reich on here a PM asking him his opinion.
"...Africa. I love it, and there is no reason for me to explore why. She affects some people that way, and those who feel as I do need no explanation." from The Last Safari
23 October 2007, 04:15
chuck5656I would think the Mosquito's would be a lot worse in Alaska than Tanzania in August. We were in the Selous in late July and saw None that I can remember.I think your wife should quit worrying and go and have a good time with you.
23 October 2007, 05:11
yukon deltaNot only is malaria prevalent in some areas of TZ but so is cholera. There's even a bit of yellow fever in the NW forest regions. I would not go without taking precautions.
_______________________________
23 October 2007, 05:19
AtkinsonPersonally, I would not take my wife to Tanzania if she was pregnant, nor would I take a very young child..Why would you even consider it..Most PHs have malaria, most folks in Tanzania have Malaria. Always take one of the prevention medicines, they work 99% of the time but there is certainly no guarentee.
Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120
rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
23 October 2007, 05:47
JVinAKTo clarify - we don't anticipate that she would be pregnant when we went over. She would be looking at getting pregnant once she returned. Our tentative ideas are 6 months afterward to see if any nasties materialized.
I'm asking because there was a lot of drama prior to the Namibia trip and then we didn't see nary a mosquito except for one.
Regardless, we would take some form of prophylactic.
23 October 2007, 06:53
GeronomoIf you are going to be in an endemic area, TAKE PROPHYLACTIC MEDS (ie. Malarone, Larium, or Doxycycline). Falciparum type malaria can, and often will, cause severe possibly irreversible kidney damage requiring dialysis. It can also cause brain damage or coma. It may become resident in the spleen leading to splenic enlargement and chronic relapses. Lastly it can kill you outright by a combination of the above conditions. The World Health Orginization(W.H.O.)monitors these types of diseases as well as TB, AIDS and others. It states that even in this age of improved access to care, malaria kills more people worldwide than ANY other infectious disease. I have seen the effects of this disease first hand and can tell you that it is nothing short of foolhardy to travel in an endemic area without prophylaxis.
On the subject of seeing mosquitos, the Anopheles sp. mosquito is very small(no seeum) and is usually active from dusk until about 1:00 AM. So it is quite possible you won't see any/many. This is not a good measure of how many are in the area. Besides it only requires one bite... Take your wife, both of you take your meds and enjoy your trip.
Geronimo
23 October 2007, 07:23
SBTI hunted Masailand in August of 2002. Never did see a mesquito. But, you would be crazy to with out taking a profilactic. It is the one that get you while sleeping that are a problem. Malaria is bad juju, don't take the chance.
"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
23 October 2007, 08:39
BlacktailerI was in that area from Sept 10-15th of this year. Can't say I ever saw a mosquito the whole time I was in Tanz but did have some intimate encounters with Tetse fly in the Selous. See your Dr. Take Malarone. Buy Avon Skin So Soft with the Spf 30. Don't worry, be happy.
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23 October 2007, 10:12
doccashI just got back from a safari in the Kigosi region of Tz., on which both Phs came down w/ malaria! I recommend prophylaxis. Dr.C
At Home on the Range-Texas Panhandle
23 October 2007, 16:48
SidnyeGo, take malarone and go. I have in laws that live in Dar. That's where you get malaria, not the selous.
23 October 2007, 19:47
MHC_TXMy wife and I will be hunting that area in November of this year. I would not chance it, always take anti-malaria medicine (we use malarone) if there is even a remote chance of getting malaria. Also, make sure you have all of your shot's.
Over Labor Day my wife and I went to Cozumel Mexico, while there we got Dangue Fever (tropical disease also spread by mosquitos). Two days after we got home the fever hit and we both had fevers as high as 104 for 7 miserable days....it sucked!!! We went to our Dr. immediately (I wasn't going to go, but my wife threw a fit) and the Dr. sent us to a tropical disease specialist. The specialist made us take blood tests everyday our temperature was over 100 degrees. Reason being, he was 90% sure we had dangue fever, but he couldn't rule out that we may also have malaria. If malaria is worse than dangue fever - I DON'T WANT IT.
23 October 2007, 20:17
AtkinsonThat changes the picture drastically, so have a good hunt, take some Skintastic to ward off the Tetsi flies and enjoy your trip..Our camp on the river in the Selous has few if any mosques or Tetsis. Most Selous camps have very few of them, not to say you can't stumble into a hatch.
However when hunting you will have to deal with the Tetsi from area to area throughout the day. They seem to like the high dry places the most.
Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120
rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
23 October 2007, 20:27
505EDTake every saftey measure you can. Anopheles gambiae is very common in sothern africa and is the common carrier of Malaria, there are 2 other mosq. that carry Plasmodium An. nili and An. moucheti.
I have worked in the vector industry for 10 years and while travling I take every saftey measure I can, but I contracted West Nile 2 years ago here in the states. Not much fun still do not feel right. Take saftey measures everywhere, abroad or at home.
Just my 2 cents.
505ED
DRSS Member
23 October 2007, 21:34
465H&HI never saw a mose in the Omay on a 15 day elephant hunt a few years ago. Both the PH and I came doewn with malaria with in a few weeks of returning. He spent 5 days in the hospital. The little buggers are difficult to see unless you really look hard for them.
465H&H