Immunizations
 

Traveling to China in late Oct/early November. I will be in Guilin-Yangshuo area. Is Malaria a problem here? I went to the CDC website & it appears that Guangxi Province has Malaria risk, but as follows: In communities below 1500m only during warm weather.: north of latitude 33M, July-November: between latitude 25N and 33N, May-December. South of latitude 25N, all year round.
Can anyone make sense of this? Or will a bug spray be sufficient.

Guilin is at latitude 25N, and Yangshou is south of Guilin. Thus, the cdc says the area has risk year around.

Of course, there is no vaccine for malaria. You will want to take along a repellant, either a deet repellant of 20% - 50% or the newer picardin. Consult with your travel med doc about an appropriate antimalarial medication.

Do you have the recommended vaccines?

lollylo25

i've been a few times to the Guilin-Yangshuo area, never taken Maiaria meds. i know a lot of organized groups are going there and thousands of people never take the pills. haven't heard of anyone getting Malaria (i got mine in Africa...)
Dress properly, use mentioned chemicals (some say vitamin B12 helps repel mosquitoes...)

aby

Just because thousands of people do something doesn't mean it's a good idea. Just because one person hasn't heard of anyone contracting malaria in the Guilin area doesn't mean it doesn't happen. If the CDC says it's a malaria risk area (which it does) I would take malaria meds (Malarone in my case). Covering up and using insect repellent may well be adequate, but it's up to you whether you want to take the risk.

And just to debunk a common myth, taking vitamin B12 does not make one less appetizing to mosquitos. Nor does eating garlic. Indeed, there appears to be nothing one can eat or take internally that has any impact on whether mosquitos bite you.

Also, it is common for tour companies not to mention that they are taking you to a malarial risk area. They don't want to scare their customers away.

I am really concerned now. I do NOT want to take malarone, due to a very sensitive system, but will definitely take bug spray. I will not be hiking or camping, but will be on the boat cruise from Guiln to Yang.
The CDC did not really say it WAS a big risk, it kind of mentioned it could be.... I don't think tour companies would be my resource for travel immunization info.
I am not sure what to do now.

Malarone has a very low incidence of side effects. Most people have none at all. From your emphatic NOT going to take Malarone, I think you probably have it confused with Lariam, which has a higher incidence of side effects which include thinks like anxiety, bad dreams and other psychiatric issues.

You should absolutely discuss your concerns with a doctor.

Lolly, the term "bug spray" is usually applied to an aerosol you spray in a room to kill insects (an insecticide). That is not your best defense. You want an insect repellant containing deet or picardin.

The cdc website tells you whether an area is considered "malarial risk" or not. If the cdc lists an area as malarial risk it means malaria is endemic in the area and that it is reported in numbers large enough to make it significant.

Consult with a travel med doc to decide the best course of action for you. As Kim mentions, Malarone, the newest anti-malarial has the lowest side effect profile.

You might want to read about anti-malarials on the cdc website.

If you do not have the recommended immunizations for this area, you should talk with a travel med doctor about that as well.

<font color="red"><b> thursdaysd is right !!</b>
</font> <i>Just because thousands of people do something doesn't mean it's a good idea. Just because one person hasn't heard of anyone contracting malaria in the Guilin area doesn't mean it doesn't happen
</i>
That one person is me - it was wrong advice !!!
<font color="green"><b> TAKE the PILLs !!!
esp since CDC says so !!! </b></font>


i regret.
thought youy don't want to take the meds... so...
SORRY

aby

P.S. Vit B12 was <u>never scientifically proved</u> to be mosquitoes-repelling...

Forgot to mention the most important:
<b> Mosquito Net !</b>

Aby, the point of providing accurate information about presence of various diseases in a country is that it allows the traveler to make an informed decision in conjunction with their health care provider about what precautions to take. I, personally, have no stake in whether lolly takes an anti-malarial or not. That's a decision she can make in consultation with her health care provider.

As someone who has been in health care for decades, I do take my responsibility to provide accurate information seriously. And I do feel it is responsible for all of us on the forum to correct misinformation.

If you are staying in hotels (rather than guesthouses) with secure window screens or air conditioning you do not need a mosquito net. In more primitive accommodations, a mosquito net is wise.

Kathie,

I am not able to take any type of malaria meds (and other meds too) safely due to some health issues I won't go into here. So it is not a question of being adamant about not taking them, I just am not able to. I will travel in another area without that risk.
I agree that if the cdc says there is a risk, &amp; most people do not heed it, that is their choice. I am going to change my itinerary now so I don't have to be concerned about malaria. But I agree with aby, it just makes no sense to do what most people do, because you could be the unlucky one one contracting the illness. And it could be deadly.

<b>Kathie</b> thanx for the lesson
aby