malaria in India?
 

Hi everyone..am new to this post. I am going to India for 2 months - mid-June to mid-August with my 2 kids - 7 and 5. We will be in Chennai for one month and Delhi for the other. We are staying in our relatives' homes...all A/c and cooler etc. My children have made 4 trips to India thus far, but never in the monsoon season. In all 4 trips, they did NOT take any anti-malria meds and were totally fine (did get bitten of course). This time around, being the monsoon season, I am wondering whether I should give them meds. Of course the travel clinic has advised I do and I have a prescription for malarone. My concern is that a) it's a 2 month trip and should i really give malarone for that long and 2) children are so young. Any thoughts or suggestions? Personal experiences?

I'd rely on the cdc's recommendations on this one

www.cdc.gov/travel

According to GlaxoSmithKline:
There are four types of malaria. MALARONE is approved for the treatment and prevention of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults and children weighing at least 25 lbs.

For more information on Malarone:
http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_malarone.pdf

Is Plasmodium falciparum present in India? Last I heard it was plasmodiom vivax? And I doubt it would be present in well settled housing areas in Delhi or Chennai. Your doctor of course knows best but I don't think I would be happy dispensing Malarone (Larium) to me to such young children.

chimani, you seem really confused about malaria and anti-malarials.

Malaone is not Larium. Malarone is the newest anti-malarial, and is very effective (in excess of 98%) and has the fewest side effects. It is taken daily, and it is the one anti-malarial that has standardized child doses available. Larium is a long-used anti-malarial that is taken once a week. While very effective in the past, there are now pockets of larium-resistent malaria in several parts of the world (but not in India). It is also the anti-malarial with the most (and the most severe side effects).

Malarone is certified for longer term use, up to six months, and may be used longer in some cases.

Malarone is an effective prevention for all four types of malaria.

There are lots and lots of mosquitoes throughout Chennai, whether you're in a "well-settled housing area" or not. In fact, I never really saw housing there that wasn't fairly close to standing water of some kind . . .

Deoxycycline was what I took while in India, for two stints of six months at a time. I'd go with whatever your doctor advises -- what did he/she say about Malarone for that long?

Doxycycline is certainly another option. It is effective and there is lots of data about long term use (all those adolescents in the US who used it for years at a time for acne!) It does need to be taken for a full month after leaving the malarial risk area.

Choosing the best antimalarial for you requires consultation with a travel med professional, as John notes.

oops - I forgot this post was about anti-malarials for children. Children cannot take doxy as an antimalarial due to damage to permanent teeth that are still developing at that age.

Thanks a lot everyone. The pediatrician advised that Malarone was the best option for children and there is no indication of any side effects with two month use.
There are plenty of mosquitoes in India, I understand that. It's just that I have never heard of anyone actually getting malaria there. Which is not to say it does not happen; to me, the risk does not appear to be that great. I once spent 6 months with my kids w/o any anti-malaria medication.
Anyway, I imagine it's better to be safe than sorry esp. since it is the monsoon season.
Thanks !!

Its best to play it safe. I have neard of people getting malaria while in India. It can happen. And listen to Kathie :D She is a very good resource for this type of info. :-)

It is extremely dangerous to seek or indeed give, advice on such a serious issue on a travel website. Kathie's advice is spot on, go to the CDC and the go to a doctor who is EXPERIENCED tropical medicine (many have ony limted knowledge). It only takes one bite from an infected mozzie! I contracted malaria in Vietnam about 20 years ago and trust me it is not a pleasant experience!

Chennai accounts for roughly 60%-70% of all the malaria cases in the entire state of Tamil Nadu.

@chimadi

Plasmodium falciparum is present in India. I caught that strain in the north east region of India in the late 90's. So unless it's been eradicated since then, it's still around.