Swat up on your malaria risk
18 May 2005
There is nothing more irritating than the buzz of a pesky mosquito in my ear. On hearing the unmistakable sound, sleep is impossible until…SWAT!
As a frequent visitor to Mexico, I have to admit it’s been a while since I’ve taken anti-malarial tablets.
I do not take my health for granted, but I do allow for complacency to get the better of me – the same condition that organisers of Malaria Awareness Week warn could spell trouble ahead for others like me.
Last year around 5m Britons travelled to malaria risk areas, but 60 per cent did not take the right health advice before they set out. Consequently, around 2,000 get malaria each year; deaths are low but rising.
There is a small risk of contracting the disease when visiting Mexico’s malaria belt – mainly along the coasts of southern states – Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Veracruz. This is especially true for rural areas not often visited by tourists.
According to Professor Peter Chiodini, Director of the Health Protection Agency’s Malaria Reference Laboratory, in the last ten years five people have returned to the UK from Mexico having contracted malaria.
In 2004, there was a single case of malaria among the estimated 400,000 Britons who visited Mexico. That’s reassuring.
Although I often see the little blighters in the mountainous central region of the country (that’s mosquitoes, not tourists), there is, apparently, little risk of malaria at altitudes above 1000 m (which includes a great deal of the country, including Mexico City). That’s more reassuring.
There are two possible choices of anti-malarial drugs for your trip: Chloroquine or Proguanil, both of which you can purchase (in the UK) ‘over-the-counter’ (without a prescription). The Preventing Malaria website is a useful first stop for this sort of information.
Bear in mind that an infant dose of chloroquine varies according to weight. Your doctor will advise on the exact dosage requirement for an infant. I would urge any parent considering taking their child to Mexico to consult their doctor’s surgery or Travel Health Clinic for expert advice.
When in Mexico, I do take some practical steps to get mosquitoes to buzz off and so reduce the chance of being bitten.
If I feel the conditions warrant it, I will use a mosquito net in the bedroom. Gicela and I bought some mosquito netting – pabellón or mosquitero in Spanish – from a haberdasher’s store at the start of our extended visit in 2002/3 and now always carry this with us.
A net is very useful for draping across the top of a baby’s travel cot, or over a buggy while a young child naps. If using on a bed, check there are no holes in the net and tuck it in carefully under the mattress.
There is more you can do to reduce harassment from mozzies.
- Take steps to avoid mosquitoes when they most like to come out and play, between dusk and dawn.
- Use a safe and effective repellent on exposed skin.
- Cover up with long sleeves, trousers and socks between dusk and dawn.
- If you will be staying in a room without air conditioning, try to get hold of a mosquito bed net.
And don’t forget to take the preventative medication, or get lazy like me and take it in a half-hearted way.
If you take these sensible precautions your risk of getting malaria is very low indeed, so enjoy your travels.
And finally…
If you do want to get closer to the enemy, I thoroughly recommend Andrew Spielman and Michael D’Antonio’s book, Mosquito: The Story of Man’s Deadliest Foe. Available from Amazon UK, US.
** IMPORTANT **
I am not a doctor. Always consult your healthcare professional before departure.
Filed in: Traveller's Tales
