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No vaccines can guard you from malaria
Thursday, February 17, 2000 By David Bear, Post-Gazette Travel Editor
As several recent travelers to Cancun, Mexico, discovered, malaria is the world's most prevalent parasitic disease.
With about 400 million annual cases and nearly 3 million deaths worldwide, malaria is a major health problem. Most victims are from indigenous populations in rural areas of Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. But malaria also strikes 10,000 travelers a year, a number that's rising with the popularity of adventure travel.
The mosquitoes that spread the disease are increasingly resistant to eradication efforts. The same is true for the various viruses that cause it.
Despite several promising developments, there is still no vaccination a traveler can get to prevent malaria. Chloroquine tablets, the most common oral malaria prescription, are ineffective in an increasing number of areas, particularly in India and South Pacific islands.
Larium, a widely prescribed alternative, has been linked to nasty psychological reactions, from depression to hallucinations. Doxycycline, another drug used to treat malaria, also can have unfortunate side effects. A fourth drug, proguanil, isn't approved for sale in the United States, even though it's sold over the counter in Canada and Europe.
Until an effective vaccine is developed, travelers' best protections are to take the medicine appropriate to their destination and health profile and to not get bitten. That means avoiding being out in the evenings and early morning hours, when mosquitoes feed.
If your sleeping quarters aren't bug proof, use a mosquito net. Wear socks and clothes that cover your arms and legs.
You can also make yourself less appealing to mosquitoes by taking vitamin B6 or coating yourself with various bug sprays that contain DEET.
For information, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hot line at (877) FYI-TRIP (394-8747) or www.cdc.gov/travel/.
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