More news about Playa del Carmen

[gopbroek]

Thanks @NYCNaiad! and my apologies to the OP for high-jacking this thread, but when @hilljo88 offhandedly mentioned malaria and dengue warnings in SE Asia I felt compelled to jump in.

I believe it was about 2 years ago this month that a well known and liked artist on the island died of dengue. It is always a good idea to use preventative measures, bug spray being the most obvious.

 

[mstevens]

I believe it was about 2 years ago this month that a well known and liked artist on the island died of dengue. It is always a good idea to use preventative measures, bug spray being the most obvious.

Unfortunate, but true. She became ill and rapidly declined with hemorrhagic dengue to which she succumbed.

This wasn't a "first-world" vs "third-world" medical care problem. Cozumel has good hospitals with good doctors who know what they're doing. It's a "we don't have very good treatments at all for viral illnesses" problem. Malaria is a relatively treatable protozoan infection (though old antimalarials don't work as well due to development of resistance in the protozoa that cause it) and in any event is not endemic in the region we're discussing. Dengue, a viral illness, is (as well as Zika and Chikungunya).

I'm more worried about getting bit by a mosquito in Playa del Carmen than I am about being the victim of violence. I'm even less worried about being the victim of violence in Cozumel, and possibly a bit more worried about being bit by a mosquito.

 

[Christi]

Unfortunate, but true. She became ill and rapidly declined with hemorrhagic dengue to which she succumbed.

This wasn't a "first-world" vs "third-world" medical care problem. Cozumel has good hospitals with good doctors who know what they're doing. It's a "we don't have very good treatments at all for viral illnesses" problem. Malaria is a relatively treatable protozoan infection (though old antimalarials don't work as well due to development of resistance in the protozoa that cause it) and in any event is not endemic in the region we're discussing. Dengue, a viral illness, is (as well as Zika and Chikungunya).

I'm more worried about getting bit by a mosquito in Playa del Carmen than I am about being the victim of violence. I'm even less worried about being the victim of violence in Cozumel, and possibly a bit more worried about being bit by a mosquito.

I've had Dengue twice - the first time I picked it up in Costa Rica and the second time was here. Because of the first strain (2008), the second time - even though a different strain, it was worse BECAUSE I had already had it before. My 2nd case was in 2012 and it was full blown Hemorrhagic Dengue. I contracted it during the widespread epidemic on the island and there were literally no hospital beds available because there were so many cases. I was otherwise healthy - so I made it through by treating the symptoms and keeping my fever down.

Just to be clear, our dear friend that died a couple of years ago had other complications that caused her to have complications from the Dengue. Anyone with a compromised immune system, kidney or liver issues is at higher risk. Still miss her today!

 

[pepperbelly]

Unfortunate, but true. She became ill and rapidly declined with hemorrhagic dengue to which she succumbed.

This wasn't a "first-world" vs "third-world" medical care problem. Cozumel has good hospitals with good doctors who know what they're doing. It's a "we don't have very good treatments at all for viral illnesses" problem. Malaria is a relatively treatable protozoan infection (though old antimalarials don't work as well due to development of resistance in the protozoa that cause it) and in any event is not endemic in the region we're discussing. Dengue, a viral illness, is (as well as Zika and Chikungunya).

I'm more worried about getting bit by a mosquito in Playa del Carmen than I am about being the victim of violence. I'm even less worried about being the victim of violence in Cozumel, and possibly a bit more worried about being bit by a mosquito.

"we don't have very good treatments at all for viral illnesses"
As far as I know there is no "cure" for any virus. Vaccines can prevent a viral infection, and there are treatments to help during a viral infection, but no cures.

 

[gopbroek]

Missed this from a couple days back, it does not seem to be getting the headlines like the ban did:
United States lifts ban on travel to Playa del Carmen

 

[KathyV]

Missed this from a couple days back, it does not seem to be getting the headlines like the ban did:
United States lifts ban on travel to Playa del Carmen

That's wonderful news, thanks for sharing!

 

[jonhall]

I've had Dengue twice - the first time I picked it up in Costa Rica and the second time was here. Because of the first strain (2008), the second time - even though a different strain, it was worse BECAUSE I had already had it before.

Sure didn't like reading this. I got sick the morning I was coming home from St. Croix (Dec. 2012.) Although not diagnosed by the doctor, I thought I maybe had Dengue. Constant nausea, achy joints, no energy, etc... Down for about 4 weeks. Up until your post, I'd read that you couldn't get it again. Doggone those different strains!

 

[rsingler]

Since this thread had been hijacked to the subject of mosquito-borne illness, let me share a post from the recent past:
Some questions for those who went to the Roatan Invasion last year...

As noted by others, there are few tropical anti-viral vaccines. There is no treatment for dengue, other than vector bite prevention. I'm headed to CUN for my honeymoon in May, and will have several dawn-dusk ensembles pretreated with permethrin.

My hospital in Dhi-Qar province in Iraq was centered in the world headquarters for sand-fly fever (leishmaniasis). While we evacuated over a dozen field tank platoon members to Walter Reed with the disease, not one of our base population became infected, in part because permethrin and DEET were not optional. For the medical folks, the night volleyball games (the only time it could be played) were as interesting for the clouds of sand flies that buzzed the players, as for the game itself. "Sand flies" were not flies at all, but in fact, tiny mosquito-like vectors of disease.

Diving Doc

 

[chillyinCanada]

They aren't flies? I thought they were flies (but also vectors etc)

 

[rsingler]

They aren't flies? I thought they were flies (but also vectors etc)