Malaria in Sumatra & in general

[sonar]

Hi, all,

I'll be heading to Sumatra for max 1 month in January. I know there is malaria in Sumatra but how does everybody deal with that?

I suppose DMs and instructors don't take pills month after month.. They get resistant to them and they cost more a month than a DM makes I suppose.. I hear so many stories that malaria musquitos are resitant to malarone or that it only protects you from 5 out of 30 types of malaria. Well, you probably heard these stories as well

Last time I didn't react too well to these pills (nausea, mild hallucinations; fish don't usually breakdance right?) and they are crazy expensive. I know if i go to the tropic institute, who deal with that here, they will always tell me to take them. But they consider everything a risk area and have a commercial interest

So, who takes them and who doesn't?

I am more afraid of dengue by the way :yuck:

 

[Snoobles]

The CDC only recommends Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine for Indonesia. We go to Indonesia annually and take Mefloquine. I like it because it is weekly and doesn't cause sun sensitivities like the doxycycline. My insurance covers it but the one year they didn't think it ran about $20US per pill. You need 1 per week of your trip and I believe 1 week prior and 3 weeks after (can't remember exactly).

Better to be safe than sorry - easier to take the pill than take the chance you catch it and have to live the rest of your life with the consequences. Kinda like safe diving practices in my book.

Here is the CDC's page on Indonesia and malaria: Yellow Fever & Malaria Information, by Country - Chapter 3 - 2016 Yellow Book | Travelers' Health | CDC


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[Wingy]

I use doxycycline in place of Malarone etc due to the side effects...mild hallucinations are never a good dive write up

 

[Dirty-Dog]

There is a vaccine against Malaria now available. It doesn't look to be as effective as some other vaccinations, but it's still a Good Thing (tm).