Malarials for Burma?
 

For those who've visited Burma in the recent past, did you take antimalarials? I will consult with a travel doc before I visit if I do go, but just want to get an idea as I consider my options. I would be visiting Rangoon, Mandalay along with some of the hill towns, Bagan, and Inle Lake. Thanks.

I'm currently planning a visit to Burma too and from what I've read, except in Rangoon & Mandalay, it's a good idea to take precautions. I intend to take doxycycline as I've taken it before with no side effects except mild photosensitivity. I'd certainly rather not bother and tend to be a bit lax in these matters but, given the state of the country in general and the catching up it has to do in some ways, I suspect if I take it anywhere Burma is the place.

Yes, we did take anti-malarials on both of our trips to Burma. The cities of Mandalay and Yangon are not considered malarial risk, but the rest of the country is.

We encountered mosquitoes at every place we stayed on both trips, despite it being "dry season."

Burma has the highest number of malarial deaths annually of any Asian country. This has to do not only with the number of malarial infections but also with the lack of good medical care. A high proportion of the malarial treatment medications in Burma are counterfeit.

Before you visit your travel med doc, take a look at the cdc guidelines and at the Fit for Travel website from the UK. The Fit for Travel site has the best malarial risk maps.

Thank you, Kathie. I will check out the CDC and Fit for Travel website. Thanks to you MmePerdu as well.

What about Hep A and typhoid ?

Yes, of course you should have both of those. Take a look at both websites. You should also have any needed boosters for tetanus, and for measles/mumps/rubella.

Again, let me encourage you to read both of those websites and print out the info for your appointment with your doctor or a travel medicine professional.

Imet w/ a travel doc about 4 weeks ago regarding our trip to India and my daughter's upcoming trip to Burma in July/August. He highly recommended antimalarials, and made sure she was up to date on those mentioned in the two posts above.

Double check that Doxy is still a drug of choice for that area. In Cambodia only Malarone works now, I wouldn't think it would be that different in Burma, but maybe.