DCS, cockroach bites, dengue, and malaria

[jiveturkey]

I don't know where PP is...? but in the Philippines you don't have to worry about coconuts. You'd be hard pressed to find any coconuts in the thousands....millions of coconut trees because they cut the stem of the fruit (coconuts) to drain the sap to make tubbah......the local wine, and langao (the vinegar that is on every table). Seriously, coconuts are rare.

PP = Phi Phi Island in Thailand, near Krabi/Phuket. Since all the coconut trees are owned by individuals, the shops can't just take the coconuts down from the trees when they become a hazard. They have to find the guy who owns the tree and pay him to come and remove his coconuts. Apparently, by the time those babies are ready to fall, the fruit is no good anymore.

 

[Ed Palma]

I think it was Lloyd's of London that came up with the statistic that more people are killed each year by falling coconuts than by any other vacation-related cause.

Hank, good observation! Although, trust me, there ARE places where coconuts aren't harvested as avidly. The dull "thud!" is a good reminder to be wary when dozing off in a hammock under a coconut tree.

 

[Quero]

PP = Phi Phi Island in Thailand, near Krabi/Phuket. Since all the coconut trees are owned by individuals, the shops can't just take the coconuts down from the trees when they become a hazard. They have to find the guy who owns the tree and pay him to come and remove his coconuts. Apparently, by the time those babies are ready to fall, the fruit is no good anymore.

Even the little buds of coconuts (about fist size) can do some damage to a person when they fall from a height of 20 meters! There are 8 coconut palms surrounding my house, and I pay a guy to climb the trees two or three times a year to get the flower stalks and immature fruit down BEFORE they're big enough for the fruit to be any good, (or kill anybody). I always know when it's time because I get woken up a couple of times a night as they hit the roof, LOL.

 

[tboxcar]

I'd have to agree with Zippsy, just get your bacis and go from there, tetnus, Hep A and B, typhoid, if you are really paranoid get the meningitis vaccine. Christ, if you are that paranoid then stay home. Been traveling and diving SE Asia for 18 years and have had my share of Dengue, G.I., but the worst was 'tropical boils' started out in the armpits, but soon small cuts would get infected and develop into a serious situation (I won't go into detail too close to dinner). Mostly this occured when we had no access to bathing, more in Nepal and Africa, but could very happen elsewhere. I agree that the Malaria medicine that is out, is worse than Malaria itself. What can you say, "Were not in Kansas anymore"

 

[jiveturkey]

I agree that the Malaria medicine that is out, is worse than Malaria itself. "

Yeah, I heard so many scary stories about larium. When I first took it I was waiting for the psychosis to it me like some bad LSD trip. I didn't take it long enough to have any side effects. The stories were enough to make me switch to doxy.

 

[dutchpickle]

Larium mixed with a touch of narcosis might be a really wierd trip.

In Alor I invested in a toyosaki electric mosquito racket. It is the greatest! Don't knock it till you've tried it.

For the record in the past year one, of my dive mates got malaria in Timor, 2 got dengue in Flores, one got malaria in Flores, and I picked up dengue myself somewhere along the trail.

I spend most of my time in Asia so I don't take meds but do what I can to not get bit, it is just a part of life in some areas.

For a sad story http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/messagepost.cfm?postaction=reply&catid=9&threadid=1121579&m

 

[Kevrumbo]

I'd have to agree with Zippsy, just get your bacis and go from there, tetnus, Hep A and B, typhoid, if you are really paranoid get the meningitis vaccine. Christ, if you are that paranoid then stay home. Been traveling and diving SE Asia for 18 years and have had my share of Dengue, G.I., but the worst was 'tropical boils' started out in the armpits, but soon small cuts would get infected and develop into a serious situation (I won't go into detail too close to dinner). Mostly this occured when we had no access to bathing, more in Nepal and Africa, but could very happen elsewhere. I agree that the Malaria medicine that is out, is worse than Malaria itself. What can you say, "Were not in Kansas anymore"

It's called Impetigo, a very nasty and contagious bacterial infection of the skin, characterized by pustules that burst and form thick yellow oozing crusts. Treated it with 10 day course of Ciprofloxacin, and then another course of Erythromycin after a relapse. Got it as a secondary infection --developing all over the rash that came with my latest bout with Dengue Fever (Damn Mosquitos! Damn them all to hell!!!). . .

 

[AlanWald]

A note about vaccines: in America we call the bacterial infection with Salmonella typhi "Typhoid Fever" and use the Typhoid vaccine. We call an infection by certain ricksettsial organisms (bacteria like organisms) Typhus and there is (or at least was, I was vaccinated in the early 1970s) a typhus vaccine. In Europe what they call Typhus is the same as the American term Typhoid.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Here is a post from Dandy Don about coconut deaths...

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=34594

And another that refutes claims...

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/020719.html

And more...


http://www.wisegeek.com/are-falling-coconuts-dangerous.htm


http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/HSG/hsg4.html

 

[Cacia]

Dengue fever is another annoying illness that can put you in bed for a while. Sometimes kids succomb to it, but usually adults are ok after 7 days.(but skinnier and with wierd skin blotches). You get it from mosquitoes also.

oh..I had that in Costa Rica...two days I don't even remember went by. really BAD headache too. I think you only get it from mosquitos.

How can it be prevented?