Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Is there a vaccine for malaria? I am going to travel to an endemic region


Well, there is no vaccine available yet. However, if you go to an endemic region and you must exercise a great deal of caution. There are several prophylactic drugs that can be used but you need to consult with your doctor to determine the right drug for you. Different drugs are now used in different parts of the world because of resistance.

Secondly, use the topical insect repellant DEET from dusk to dawn. Everything else on the market is not very effective. Wear long sleeved permethrin coated clothes as long as you are not allergic to permethrin. Before going to sleep, spray DEET under the bed and other nearby furniture. 

Scan around the walls and curtains and kill any mosquitoes that you see. Try to make it a habit of sleeping under fine nylon netting impregnated with permethrin. Avoid wearing perfumes and colognes-for some reason mosquitoes love fragrance. With the above precautions, you will be about 99% protected but you should understand that mosquitoes are also very smart and hardy. They will nip you when you least expect it.

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